I first heard of the band Elizabeth and the Catapult while working at Anthropologie. The song “Mama’s Boy” was a fresh, upbeat contrast to the normal acoustic indie music the store usually played, and I soon found myself singing along to the jazzy lyrics. When I went home, I bought the entire album on iTunes.
Elizabeth and the Catapult’s first album, Taller Children, is a definite good buy. It is a concept album that revolves around the notion that we never really grow up; we are all just “Taller Children.” And while a lot of concept albums get old and annoying after a while (think Green Day’s American Idiot), the songs on this album vary so much in style and sound that you will have no trouble simply putting the album on repeat.
The album goes from the charming indie pop inspired “Mama’s Boy,” to a downright melancholy cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows” to the almost Broadway-style “Race You.” And while the difference in styles may threaten to make the album disconnected or chaotic, Elizabeth Ziman’s jazzy vocals string all of the songs easily together.
The album is reminiscent of the smooth, upbeat sounds of the ’60s and ’70s without being anchored to any particular decade, and the lyrics are appropriate for any age, place, or date. Ziman grew up in Greenwich Village, just a few steps away from where sixties folkies like Bob Dylan started their careers, and the inspiration of New York City is very obvious when you flip through the tracks.
After listening to the album, you might be surprised to find out that this band is only made up of three people. The intense instrumentals and creative sounds make it difficult to believe that such songs could be created by less than an entire symphony, much less three people. But maybe that shouldn’t be surprising when you consider that the trio met and formed their group at Boston’s Berklee College of Music.
While the band wrote and practiced their songs in New York City, they chose to record their album in Omaha, Neb. for the sense of calm the new setting would provide for the album. Because of that calm, this album is tailor-made for a lazy, relaxed day and can easily be listened to while doing homework, talking on the phone, or falling asleep.
The name of this band could have easily been the name of Pixar’s new summer movie, and the music could have easily been the background. The childlike quality of most of the songs on this album swing you back to a time of running around without shoes on or racing your friend back to their house after chasing down the ice-cream truck. And while this might seem juvenile, I believe it is the perfect fit for the over-stressed college lifestyle.
The sounds of Elizabeth and the Catapult caught the attention of a several major labels, but the band eventually decided to sign with the indie “Verve Forecast.” This decision allowed them maximum creative control over the album, which is a good thing for all of us. I am positive that had the band signed with a more commercial label, we would not be able to enjoy such a new and different sound.
If you are sick of the overplayed, over synthesized, and over remixed versions of the same five pop songs that play over and over again on the radio, this is definitely a good antidote. Pick up this album in the store, or buy it on he Internet, and I promise you that you will not be disappointed or bored. And if you decide that the music is not for you, at least take joy in the band’s absolutely fantastic name.
Jessica Huseman is a double CCPA and Political Science Major. She can be reached for comment at [email protected].
