CD Review- Eli Young Band- Jet Black and Jealous

Who knew the road to Nashville was a beautiful scenic drive through Denton, Texas?

Composed of Mike Eli (vocals & guitar), James Young (guitar), Jon Jones (base guitar), and Chris Thompson (drums), the Eli Young Band has released their first major label album Jet Black and Jealous on Universal South Records. (The band released three previous cd’s on the independent label Carnival).

Denton, Texas tells the real story of this bands rise to country radio. Eli & Young began as an acoustic duo when they attended the University of North Texas together. They’ve played a rigorous schedule in Texas, developing a major following in the Lone Star State and opening concerts for such acts as Pat Green, Robert Earl Keen, Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert and the prestigious Austin City Limits Music Festival.

The lead-off single of the album, When It Rains, spent more than thirty weeks on the country charts and the second chart single, Always the Love Songs is currently climbing the charts now.

The cover of Jet Black and Jealous tells much of the story inside on the CD itself. Four young handsome guys dressed in leather and black with a single cowboy boot. The Eli Young Band is part of the new generation of country, the more modern sound where style and substance go forward hand in hand. Imagine what would happen if Rascal Flatts was melded with Dierks Bentley with a hint of the radio-friendly Pat Green thrown in for good measure. The album includes and effective mix of slow and upbeat songs- all played with a variety of instruments- including mandolin and harmonica.

While not particularly commanding, lead singer Mike Eli's voice does a great job of leading the way, drawing the listener in with a sweeping roller-coaster ride of vocals that are backed by sweet harmony-drenched choruses made so popular by the before-mentioned Flatts trio. All of the songs borrow generously from pop music, but interestingly enough, the album still sounds and feels completely country. Surprisingly, the first track released to radio, When It Rains, was the one song borrowed from their biggest indie album, Level. The resources of the bigger label shine through, however. The newer version has more polished vocals, harmonies and added more banjo, pedal steel guitar and electric guitar. It’s a great tune that is one of those few that make you want to blast it loud in your car down the freeway. The whole album teeters on the edge of becoming a rock and roll album, but never crosses the line- due largely to the instrumentalization and the southern-friendly lyrics. Pop production, rock and roll style and country sound all hit head-on in a Texas three-way stop sign and what was created was an up-and-coming band that hopefully, with a little luck, could make some noise in a crowded country music scene. Always The Love Songs has a great hook that should allow it to continue to climb the music charts and it will likely be followed by Radio (which radio stations will play simply for its self-fulfilling prophecy) and the dark and dangerous rocker Throw and Go.

One of the very best things about reviewing new music is the new gem that you find unexpectedly. It’s like the prize at the bottom of a Cracker Jacks box. Jet Black and Jealous by the Eli Young Band is that prize. It’s a full album filled with a collection of songs, all able to stand strongly on their own, but pure joy to listen together as one. A definite two-thumb-upper…