Elliot Minor - Elliot Minor

Elliot Minor: Elliot Minor: 14th April 2007.

Welcome to the 11 song guide.

1. Time After Time
Alex’s favourite. Wow. The demo showed so much charm, so does the finalised track live up? Yes. The one criticism is the removal of the gunshot, but if you overlook that the track has been mastered to perfection. Webisodes have shown clips of this song and the radio even gave us a preview, but nothing could prepare ...
...Gay’ song [it’s like an Elliot Minor fan private joke] has had a huge revamp since the demo that made me smile for ages. Another favourite, you find yourself moving in time to the track as Alex’s voice loses the choir tone in silently and instead the rockier edge is shown as you hear him smiling as he sings. A lot less classical than the others, it’s a crowd favourite that will have you moving [or I can push you in time, I ... more

Elliot Minor: Elliot Minor: 14th April 2007.

Welcome to the 11 song guide.

1. Time After Time
Alex’s favourite. Wow. The demo showed so much charm, so does the finalised track live up? Yes. The one criticism is the removal of the gunshot, but if you overlook that the track has been mastered to perfection. Webisodes have shown clips of this song and the radio even gave us a preview, but nothing could prepare you for the beautiful chords, melodies and lyrics which definitely lead way to an amazing album of this immense scale. Mixing both the classical sounds with the heavier guitars, weaved among a strong drum beat you know you’ll be humming this one for years to come.

2. Parallel Worlds
Their first and most recent single [9th April 2007 and a re-release on the 7th April 2008], it’s a crowd pleaser, amazing live and one of the band’s most defining tracks. With little alternations from the original single the only noticeable difference is a classical tail off, brilliantly mastered and done with an actual orchestra [a 60 piece set up]. It’s so ‘Elliot Minor’, their style of the creepy, alluring music that makes you want to dance and twirl upon the ballroom floor. If you’ve heard of the guys, this will be the track that you’ll have heard or at least you will know of. Just wow.

3. The White One Is Evil
Suddenly, the sweet symphony breaks into the heavy power chords; again another single [29th October 2007]. Being about an old ex girlfriend, this is the first song on the album to be at all love related [Time After Time was about the gap year and repetition, while Parallel Worlds was based on a paranormal event], it’s definitely on another path to the others. So similar, yet so different, as with every track upon the album. With both light soothing choir like voices to harder chunkier sounds you find yourself listening to an amazing selection of dramatic proportion that you will fall in love with.

4. The Liar Is You
One of my personal favourites. Live it is played with such emotion that the demo could not capture, but after hearing this twice [I’ve listened to the album once and this is my second time], I’m still in tears as I feel the emotion leak in between the chords. It’s so beautiful and light, with amazing orchestral accompaniment as their classical heritage reveals itself to be the glue behind the melody. They haven’t murdered touching lyrics with a dark tune, instead they have a classical/rock compromise that is sure to appeal to a wide audience.

5. Lucky Star
Ultimate favourite right now. Again, with an amazing demo and an immense live performance and as with The Liar Is You, the passion is captured is so amazing. It’s hard to describe the combination of instruments, vocals and raw emotions. Soothingly beautiful with a rock blanket wrapped around it, it’s one of the most amazing tracks, yet hard to explain; it just takes your breath away.

6. Jessica
The second single to be released [5th August 2007], this track about Jessica Alba doesn’t vary in any way from the single release, yet has come a long way from the slightly techno demo with none of the heavy drum introduction [and Dan’s only been playing about 4 years!]. Another crowd pleaser in which there are obvious classical roots poking in between the chords, solos and riffs.

7. The Broken Minor
Tying ultimate favourite with Lucky Star. It’s lightened up since the demo, with more orchestral parts strung in between angel like vocals [I bet Alex & Ed’d kill me for saying that]. I always have this memory of Alex on the keyboard and Ed and Teddy getting us to clap along at the Met Uni last year, but you can see why it made the album. Sometimes the vocals sound slightly odd and posher than they should from a Yorkshire band [technically though, Alex and Ed aren’t from Yorkshire…], but simply wow. It has so much talent with another classical ending, very similar to Parallel Worlds, that sounds like a John Williams piece, or at least someone of his talent.

8. Still Figuring Out
Another single [28th January 2008] that again does not vary from the release, yet is a lot more powerful than the demo. It wins at life and although one of my least favourite songs on the album, it’s one of my favourite songs of all time; so that is saying something about the quality. Again, with effort, mixing and time, you can really see the true beauty of the song.

9. Silently
Another amazing sweet melody of light vocals that soothe you into a blissful state of happiness, the true harmony of Alex and Ed really shows through in a version that beats the demo, hands down. There is a lot of classical focus that works to a state of perfection that leaves the listening craving more as they are moved to tears with the sweet sounds that flow from the speakers. The talent is almost unreal, yet it’s not, it’s there in the exquisiteness of such a creative track.

10. Running Away
The ‘Ed Minton Is Gay’ song [it’s like an Elliot Minor fan private joke] has had a huge revamp since the demo that made me smile for ages. Another favourite, you find yourself moving in time to the track as Alex’s voice loses the choir tone in silently and instead the rockier edge is shown as you hear him smiling as he sings. A lot less classical than the others, it’s a crowd favourite that will have you moving [or I can push you in time, I don’t care which], but it’s worth a listen and 5 stars if nothing more.

11. Last Call To New York City
The last track with such charisma that it soothes you after the harder rockier sounds of Running Away. Swaying in time, you find yourself with such vivid images within your brain as the time passes and you’re still locked in the moment and all its charm. Chosen last, you see why as you feel tears prick your eyes as you’re taken away to NYC, dancing along with the band in all their glory. Finishing with a short ending of fireworks, you’re still smiling as the colours explode within your mind.

It was worth the wait; simply amazing. 

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