13. Eisley Combinations
The best case for nepotism currently operating in rock and roll today: The Dupree family, four siblings and a cousin from Texas, wrapping gorgeous melodies and swirling, dizzying harmonies around everything they touch. I fell in love with this band listening to their 2005 debut Room Noises, and like that record, there's not a bad song in the bunch on Combinations. Sure, they tend to write about woodland faeries and old ships and other Majestic Things, and there's an even chance that "Invasion" is actually about pod people. But when you do it in stunning three-part harmony (and further, sibling harmony, which is inestimably better), you can sing about whatever the eff you want.
I will also take this opportunity to talk about a little thing called Leaving Them Wanting More. It's my personal philosophy that it is exceeding difficult for an album under 40 minutes to suck. I mean really suck: one may be indifferent to an album like that, but come on. You can't really even say that it's a waste of time! (Don't get me started on all the people that "hated" Weezer's Green Album. A pox on all their houses.) So when an album as good as Combinations clocks in at 34:26, it's, as I believe the Chinese say, double happiness. You get in, you kick ass, and you get out...Leaving Them Wanting More.
In a related story, the new R.E.M. album (Accelerate, out April 1, ooooooooooh baby) is rumored to be 34 minutes long. That is all.
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