Cafe Eleven

The Elected (Blake of Rilo Kiley), Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos

Saturday - Nov 11th, 2006 - $10

The Elected, fronted by Blake (Rilo Kiley guitarist/co-songwriter), released its debut album, Me First, in 2004. Recorded sporadically at pal Elliott Smith’s studio with Bright Eyes superman Mike Mogis and The Postal Service’s Jimmy Tamborello, the album was filled with sparse, intimate gems - twinkling pop songs that recalled ’60s-inspired West Coast pop, the blissful twang of Gram Parsons and the crumpled whispers of Neil Young.

Sun, Sun, Sun furthers that tradition but also raises the bar. Where Me First sparkled with a lo-fi airiness anchored primarily by a mixture of drum machines, sequencers, guitar and lap steel, Sun, Sun, Sun takes that aesthetic to great new heights. Produced by Blake and multi-instrumentalist Mike Bloom at various L.A. locales, as well as various places along the road while on tour with Rilo Kiley, it draws from deep within the classic rock canon - summoning everything from early Grateful Dead, The Beatles, The Band, Pink Floyd, and The Eagles. This time out, the band experiments with a greater depth of sound (think ’70s hi-fi rather than modern-day lo-fi) and influence (think more classic, less country). Fans of Rilo Kiley will no doubt ally themselves with The Elected’s sharp-witted pop sensibility and remain close by. But Blake’s blatant sonic and thematic departures from that realm - and his allegiance to less orthodox songwriters like Jim Croce and Tom Waits.

Throughout Sun, Sun, Sun, Blake spins rousing narratives about where hearts might go when they fall off our sleeves, the places we live when we’ve lost our home address, and the ironies that snicker rather loudly when we call ourselves adults. Maybe it’s coming of age when you’ve already gotten there, getting back to your roots when they’ve long been ripped up, or moving forward and always looking back. Whatever the case, the fact remains: Sun, Sun, Sun will break your heart, take you home, hold your hand and carry you forward. And for once, you don’t have to keep your eyes on the road - Blake’s doing it for you.

The Elected Video for “Not Going Home”