Album Details

• Artist: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
• Album: Broom
• Label: Polyvinyl Records
• Year of Release: 2005
• Original Release:
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: kev_stev on 2007-06-22

As an avid listener of a variety of genres of music, I am very rarely moved by music upon first listen.  Sometimes, though, there is something about a song that strikes me right away as something special.  The feeling that this music evokes is often unidentifiable, but its impact on me is consistently profound.  I have learned that the best music can exact sentiments in the most peculiar and amazing ways, though few musicians can adapt and hone this skill--let alone consistently produce songs demonstrating this ability.

However, Broom, the first full-length release from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (SSLYBY), brilliantly captures this lush, poignant music, revealing the band's seemingly effortless ability to create emotional pop songs.  Unlike most contemporary pop-rock music, the tracks on Broom are inexhaustible: they do not become played out from a few listens; rather, the winsome, low-fi warmth of their sound invites further listens from the listener.  For instance, the addictive chorus of "I Am Warm and Powerful" will have the listener clapping its beat and humming along for weeks, although it is difficult to decipher what exactly it is that the band's saying.  But that's the thing that's so special about this album: it is so full of passion and vitality that even its minor obscurities cannot shroud or diminish its emotional impact on the listener.

It is no wonder SSLYBY was recognized by many magazines after releasing their album online; it is rare for a band to make a sincere, long lasting pop album, and these kids have done it with great success.  From "Oregon Girl," a song that almost exhorts its listeners to sing along, reminiscent of Bright Eyes' "Another Travelin' Song," to "Anna Elephant," a song ending with a booming crescendo over clashing tambourines, this is undoubtedly both an album worth buying and a band worth exploring while they're still young and full of energy.

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