Skip to main content

Digging Hard on the Smooth Grooves of The Elovators - Defy Gravity


There is just something that happens to my entire soul when I am listening to good record. It’s like the bugs of negativity that have been infesting me for days, weeks, months seem to rise and leave my entire being and these gold and rose colored droplets of positive deposit in their place. Is there no better feeling that a good uplifting batch of sounds for your soul? I ask, but I know the answer. Boston’s The Elovators know the answer too, and that’s why they have given us all their new record, Defy Gravity. It’s everything we need right now.

I stumbled on these guys a while back and did a piece on their last record, The Cornerstone. (you can check that out HERE) I thought it was outstanding and really captured a vibe of pure love and peace, and goodness knows we can’t have enough of that these days. I really didn’t think they could up that game, but here I am with these sounds in my ears and I’m completely floored. This vibe is complete fire. The beat is silky and the vocals are harmonious and sweet while still hitting deep and hard. There is a perfect mix of really groove heavy bass, soaring guitar work, funk and soul keys, expertly done percussions, and incredibly beautiful vocals that set The Elovators apart from their contemporaries. These guys have really tapped into that pure sweet gold vibe in music. It’s a perfect mix of sway, dance, and smile and it comes through in every track.

The first track, Live By The Day, is just so sexy and tight. It’s got that dip and pulse vibe that seems to pull at your body when you listen so much that you find yourself moving with it’s waves. The vocals are gorgeous, as usual. I love the way the Elovators write vocals into their songs. They are like a swaying batch of sea grass -  all bits of the song come together and wave back and forth, yet still split apart with the changing of the breezes. The bass line in this song is really sensual and I love that element. Skipping on over to Gonna Shine for some real chilled standard reggae beat and vibe rounded out with that positive charge that we all love about these guys. Then it picks up tempo and it’s like the sun just came out in the late morning and showed us another gorgeous day. I love this band’s uplifting soul and how it shines through their songs.




People Go starts off with some steady percussion and kicks in with some guitar and sweet bass, a bit of clap, keys, and a whole lot of sweet soul. It’s more of that sunshine through the rain and kicking vocals in this track. Great guitar work. Outstanding groove that gets in you and keeps you moving. This is the kind of song that pulls at your smile at the corners of your mouth as the dancing starts. This one is going to be a whole lot of fun live. So much room for jams, already a really funky cool solo in the mix. My Baby takes that smooth jam down a few notches into something sensual and cool. Very clearly a love song, it’s got that sexy smoothness while still holding the uplift and body moving vibe. Great lyrics, lovely vocals.

The Ladder is one of my favorite tracks on this record. The percussion is stellar. The groove has several changes through the song. The vocals are strong, powerful, and uplifting. The lyrics are just what I needed today. This song is getting deep into all the cracks in me right now and I loving it. This is one of those songs that lights up a crowd with positive, jumping energy bursts and I want to be there to experience it because it will be amazing. Well done, guys. The last track, Shaking off the Wolves, takes it all down a notch with some earthy acoustic guitar and light vibe. The vocals go deep and strong. About halfway through, the tempo kicks up a bit and the song carries you high with a message of hope, peace, and strength. That message is conveyed not just in words, but the overall vibe of the song. It’s a skill I love about this band. Another example of fantastic writing by The Elovators.

Defy Gravity was recorded and mixed by Danny Kalb, who is known for his work with artists like The Movement and Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, at White Star Studios in Virginia. It’s a sophisticated and groove heavy piece of awesome and I am incredibly impressed with where these guys went with their writing this time around. The Cornerstone was a fantastic display of their style, but Defy Gravity proves how polished that style can be. It’s a elegant and chill record and I’m here to tell you that you need it in your life. The world is constantly pelting us all with boulder-size orbs of negative energy lately, and we need all the sweet peace and uplifting groove we can find. I can’t think of a single record right now that would be better suited to fight all that ugly than this gorgeous piece of splendid right here.

You can get your copy of Defy Gravity HERE.

Check back with the band’s website for tour info. As soon as these guys hit NJ/NYC, I’ll be out there, and I hope to see you grooving with us!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Festival Experience for a Newbie - Amazing Vibes at Disc Jam Part 1

The festival concept was not one that I was ever familiar with on a personal level. Let me correct that - I was brought up in a home where we watched Woodstock as a family. My parents had gone to see it on a date when it was originally in the theaters and whenever PBS was doing a telethon and had it on, we would actually all sit down and watch it. I pretty much have the film memorized. My parents are the reason for my love (slight obsession) with folk music of that time. They named their dog after Arlo Guthrie who they still go see whenever he comes through New Jersey. This is my background. So for me, the idea of the music festival was always that. The ultimate festival. Woodstock. Then some greedy people stupidly tried to replicate it in the 90's and people set shit on fire and ruined it. I thought that was it. The modern era ruined this beautiful concept with commercialized violence and nonsense. Good job, guys. I had NO idea that there were still magical festivals happeni
Post a Comment
Read more

Tossing Out My Preconceived Notions with Big Something - Tumbleweed

I used to think I understood what this whole jam scene thing was, and I was so sure it was not my thing. In my younger days, I refused to listen to bands like Phish and moe. because I was so very sure the music was something I wouldn't relate to. I had all these preconceived notions of what the crowds were like at festivals, what the bands were like when you met them, and what the scene was as a whole. I was so wrong, it's kind of painful. I mention a lot that my husband is a big reason for my open mind in music. I have always had a very eclectic taste. I love everything from classical to hip hop. I found myself as a teen in punk and industrial. I found my home in ska/reggae. I have always carried a love for folk. Never did I realize that all these sounds can be found in the least likely scene, at least in my mind at that time. Over the last five years, my husband (a nasty jam bassist in his own right) has been slyly pulling me into the scene one band at a time. Never has my
Post a Comment
Read more

Enjoy Some Delicious New Grooves with The Breakfast - Phantasmagoria

I don't know about you, but there is nothing I like more right now than Breakfast. More specifically, The Breakfast. The Breakfast started way back in 1998 in East Haven, CT originally as The Psychedelic Breakfast, a play on the Pink Floyd song Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast. They released their first album in 1999. There have been some lineup changes here and there, but the one thing that has always remained consistent when someone talks about the band is how freaking GOOD they are. The Breakfast is comprised of some of the most intensely talented players within and well outside the jam scene. Tim Palmieri, best known for his incredible work with Kung Fu and Z3, is on guitar. Adrian Tramontano, also of Kung Fu as well as about a million other projects and instruments because he’s that good, is on drums. Chris DeAngelis, also of Kung Fu as well as his solo project LoEndFreque , is on bass. Jordan Giangreco, who has played all over as well including in Viral Sound, is on keys. Ev
Post a Comment
Read more