Earlimart: Hymn and Her (Majordomo/Shout Factory)
8/10


On its sixth studio album, Earlimart drop down in size to its original core members: Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray. The duo has slowly moved towards a dreamier and more detailed pop sound since its landmark album, Everyone Down Here, and Earlimart make this distinction more apparent than ever on Hymn and Her.

Vocally the album is rich and inviting, and I couldn't review it without  devoting a big chunk of praise to Ariana Murray. Her role as a confident and beautiful singer leads the listener through sparkling piano melodies and detailed guitar passages. "Before it Gets Better," "Time For Yourself" and the haunting funeral procession-like lullaby of "Tell Me" are sweet, but also retain a ghostly effect. She's just as effective with backing performances on "Face Down in the Right Town" and "For the Birds." If anything, Murray's vocal involvement sets a new standard for any future Earlimart release.

Espinoza's song writing continues to sharpen as well. The album opener, "Song For," recalls early R.E.M. as vocal harmonies unify during a moody chorus -- you can't ignore the brilliant Fleetwood Mac feel either. "God Loves You the Best" and "Cigarettes and Kerosene" introduce the listener to a straightforward guitar melody in the beginning, but eventually unveil more complex rhythms, vibratoed riffs and gorgeous piano chords -- traits that Espinoza has mastered. These elements rise and fall, and in turn, create space without having to pile-on overdubs.
 
While reading Earlimart's original press release, Hymn and Her is described as "organic and diverse," which basically outlines every Earlimart effort to date. Instead, the focus should be directed at the changing dynamics in the band and how that has allowed the band's sound to develop while retaining its urgency. Along with the growing role of Ariana Murray, and the masterful melodies created by Aaron Espinoza, the duo has created a spacious and simplified album -- and that's something only a couple of veteran musicians could crank out.



- Scott McDonald