Seth Elton and The Band - Seth Elton and The Band

Seth Elton And The Band

Seth Elton And The Band
self-released; 2013

3.6 out of 5

By Kristen Fisher

Seth Elton is a four-piece band consisting of Seth Elton, Hugo Laing, Amos Schonfiled and Iggy Jeffery that hail from London. Seth Elton took it upon himself to turn his band recordings into something he could submit to his university (I'm guessing this is an audio engineering school) for his final project. While many other bands tend to leave the mixing and producing in the hands of professionals, Elton has done the opposite with good results, laboring the love of The Red Hot Chili Peppers with a clear abundance of Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake tied in for good measure. Instead of sounding exactly like these other musicians, he has attributed the right attitude and somehow was able to tap into that atmosphere and created this album and a new pace of rhythm. 

This five-song EP could easily be a full album, as the songs provided a good, sturdy rounded sound that seemed to be effortless for the band. Haven't you ever just listened to an album that you know the band tried to find the right energy and instead it just seemed dull? Maybe it was the lack of enthusiasm that the artist seemed to present in the music or the nuances of his or her voice. This is not the case with this collection of songs. The EP starts off jammy with "Gotta Be Good" which has a funky yet subdued energy. By the time “Stubborn Man” starts to play, you feel at home with Elton's voice as it provides the needed energy and emotional center of the band. The band decides to slow things down a bit with "G-A.” They tone down the funky chord structures and rely on more traditional acoustic strumming. “Mr Holland” comes in blazing with a bit more fire, interrupting the more easy going flow of the previous song.

They strike a good balance with “Mr Holland.” making this song feel like it was the strongest track on the album. If the sincere nature that comes forth with this first EP persists, I would be pleased if they continued to pop out an album every year or so – maybe even more, as the songs seem to be natural for the band. Anyone out there that has been looking to listen to a new band that creates light, easy songs that could make your summer a bit more enjoyable look no further then Seth Elton and the Band. I’m looking forward to how these guys progress and see how their song writing matures.

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