You are listening to indie rock legacy, and you might not even know it. Elysian Fields is not a newcomer band. It is in fact a band that released their first album, Definition, in 1995. Not much is known about the band since then. One of Utah’s biggest newspapers, The Deseret News, gave their debut album incredibly positive reviews. The band was a power trio of James Shumway as the songwriter and keyboardist, Mark Roos on guitars and the incredibly energetic vocals of Kerri Murray. You are getting to listen to the definition and realise what a wave of change it was in the indie rock soundscape.
That vintage breeze
Did you ask for charging, stadium rock? You might not have, but the opening song is how you show what voltage you operate at. When the Days Get Hot is fast and energetic and displays all of the band’s strengths at one go. If you are looking for any definition for what a new band might have sounded like in 1995, imagine how hearing this on the radio would have felt. Ellison Fields doesn’t dilly dally. They use their songwriting strength to completely engulf you in a totally new experience. It sounds like a prog-rock delight, with Kerri Murray’s vocals elevating the song and lyrics to match the temperature they are singing about.
The next track, No Matter What, sounds like a Heart song that has been converted into a ballad. Just like Nancy Wilson’s vocals, the acoustic ambience pairs with Kerri’s vocals for quite the effect. You will always be able to appreciate the arrangement for James Shumway, who does a fantastic job of understanding where and how to elevate the track. Whether tempo builds or how instrumental flourishes blend in seamlessly, Elysian Fields treat you to an aural retreat like no other band you’ll hear now.
A wide range of melodies
Dynamics are at an all-time great mix through this album. Here You Come Here You Go contrasts a soft, lovey ballad and makes it an anthemic return compared to the emotional Staying With You. Shumway opens the soft track with the rich notes of the piano, while Murray sings over it with dedicated passion. Elysian Fields will make a spider web with your heartstrings, with the kind of thrill they can extract from each song. For a moment, you’re grooving to a Jovi-like track called Shattered Lives – the other you explore time and space with a rich number like Desert Sky.
These are songs that relate to the human experience. What made them all the more memorable is that they were written in a time before smartphones. No mention of AI, no computers, just an open journal full of poems waiting to be turned into songs. There is more than one reason why you feel a sense of elation listening to Wings to Fly. It’s not because they are synthesising freedom; they are really dreaming of it-
Follow then on Instagram as well!
Check out our playlists here!
Check out our YouTube channel for music reviews, playlists, podcasts, and more!
Disclaimer: This release was brought to you by a promotional campaign by the artist, PR, or management label
