Elliott Brood

Before listening to the new EP from Elliott Brood, you take notice of their art. The CD is cleverly delivered and wrapped up in a brown paper bag. Once the bag is unwrapped, one finds a mini disc inside a miniature black hand-bound album. From the first strums of the acoustic guitar and the gravely, nasal voice that seeps from the speakers one is not disappointed. The six-song EP showcases the talents of Casey Laforet, Mark Sasso and Stephen Pitkin. Brooding lyrics, banjo plucking and a lo-fi death-country flavour, especially "Oh, Alberta,” marks the songs. Think of fellow Torontonians the FemBots or Great Lake Swimmers and the general mood of Elliot Brood begins to reveal itself. The best track, "Only at Home,” echoes the foot-stomping groove of Zeppelin’s "Bron Y Aur Stomp,” but with a bluegrass beat. Tin Type closes with the fleeting ballad of loneliness and loss "Ridding in Time” — the ideal bookend for this petite disc that packs a big sound.