Miss Elm - hybrid

Miss Elm

Hybrid
Big Rig Records; 2014

4.2 out of 5 - TOP ALBUM

By Jamie Funk

Last year Miss Elm released Idle Away and it was a respectable offering from the band. Erin Harrington had an attractive lead vocal and the song worked well together. Idle Away was a solid intro but their recent release Hybrid is in every way a step up. The songs feel more open, the writing is better and there are more engaging arrangements. I could go on. 

The songs on Hybrid are ultimately pop songs that contain a lot of upbeat energy. The diverse and unique instrumentation is a very welcome aspect of the music. Take for example the first track “Bitter,” which combines a copious amount of tones and frequencies in a kinetic concoction of sounds. The track has a lot of energy regardless of the lead vocals but Harrington breaks it to the next level. Her delivery is like a shot of adrenaline. She sings with passion and emotion. You can tell she is excited to sing what she does. 

“Facebook Never Lies” the second song is another great track and again demonstrates a unique combination of instrumentation that works very well. Harrington belts it out when she sings the song. The energy is taken down and points to a hint of melancholy on “Invisible Line. Harrington sort of sounds like Fiona Apple on this track. That’s a good thing. Her voice is very soulful and full of emotion.

“Puzzle Pieces” is pure bubblegum pop. The song bursts with undeniable energy that will bring you out of your chair. I especially enjoyed the background vocals and the bass line, which is wicked funky. The album closes with arguably the highlight on the album. It leaves a little more space than other songs to really hear the vocal front and center. A steady kick thumps as strings create a delicate, pretty melody for Harrington to sing against. As the song progress more instrumentation and intensity is added. It climaxes and releases ending the album.

Miss Elm hit it out of the park with this album and are certainly on to something. Take a listen and spread this around. 

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