They're warm and powerful...

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Broom (2006).

Many bands around these days have simple, effective and radio-friendly names. They tend to be prefixed with 'the' and make your MP3 player believe that the vast majority of artists begin with a T. One of these bands, The Shins, just so happen to be one of my favourites. Their sound is lo-fi and it's a sound I find difficult to quench my thirst for. I must always search for more lo-fi.

On this quest, I discovered a band a couple of months ago, called 'Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin'. Perhaps now you see the relevance of my opening gambit. It's a name you'll hear and remember.

They are true middle-Americans, hailing from Springfield, Missouri. The band began write songs in their first year of college and recorded the album Broom in a the house that Will lived in. They were unsigned at this stage, yet due to the wonders of blogging and the internet, gained a review from Pitchfork and Oregon Girl even featured in The O.C. It must have come as little surprise that a record label had become interested.

In early-2006, they were signed by Polyvinyl Records, the label which gave us Mates of State and Of Montreal amongst others. Broom was remastered to an industry standard quality. Since then, they have completed a US tour and even had a trip to Russia to play at a small festival in Moscow. How apt.

So what's all the fuss about then?

Broom kicks off with Pangea, a beautifully balanced song about the continents drifting apart, featuring lyrics ("Pangea we used to be together/why'd we have to drift apart?"), off-beat humour you will become accustomed to by the end of the album.

There's strains of early Weezer to be found in the next song, I Am Warm and Powerful, with inspiring harmonies. It contrasts beautifully to the following track, the Elliott Smith-esque What We'll Do. After this song, we're given the Travel Song. Another homage to the late Smith it seems, as we head further down this darker portion of the album.

Things brighten up, though, once we arrive at Oregon Girl, as mentioned earlier. A cheery song worthy of any summer's day. The Shins would certainly be proud of this number. This note is taken down a level again during House Fire. It fuses the dark optimism of Eels lyrics ("Your pretty face is soaked in blood/you know I still find you dashing") with the piano/guitar combination you would be more used to hearing in a Death Cab for Cutie song.

These themes run throughout the rest of the album. It's possible to note further Eels and The Shins comparisons, even parts which make you believe you're listening to the genius of Thom Yorke.

Towards the end of the album, Anne Elephant is probably their most eclectic and experimental song, It fails somewhat to live up the rest, but they proved with the other 9 songs on the album what they are capable of and the sound they should be aiming for.

Rating: 9/10

http://www.myspace.com/boris
http://www.sslyby.com/

New album 'Pershing' released on 8th April.

MP3: Modern Mystery from Pershing