Album Review: Eisley - 'The Valley'

Eisley are a very charming act. They’ve got an immense amount of talent, spunk and is one of those rare examples of siblings getting along – yeah; I didn’t know it could happen either. Their name is also inspired by Star Wars, what’s not to love? Shut it down; give them five stars if you don’t mind! If only it were that easy, my friends.

Eisley aren’t exactly an emerging act, they’ve been in the system for over a decade and have just managed to release their third studio album; though they do have a generous helping of EPs under their belt. Their latest, ‘The Valley’ has been in the works for three years, but in that time they put out the ‘Fire Kite’, an EP that actually played home to two tunes from the third studio record, including the titular track. I’ll say it now, this indie family act out of Texas has got some chops, and ‘The Valley’ is their most mature, consistent effort to date.

While the instrumentation calls to mind popular rock giants like Coldplay and, at times, The Beatles, the strongest links in Eisley are Stacy and Sherri Dupree. I haven’t had a female vocal duo impress me like this since the Wilson sisters of Heart back in the glorious, rockin’ seventies. Their voices are so strong and empowered, they tend to steal focus from the rest of the group – which only causes me further disbelief there isn’t sibling rivalry at play.

The record has a fine balance of poignantly beautiful compositions, such as “Kind” or “Ambulance”. There is certain vulnerability in each of the songs that make them all the more special; they almost seem to be lyrically written by a broken heart for all the broken hearts out there. The latter of the aforementioned songs is home to one of the more thought-provoking, relatable lines of the record: “Like a rubbernecker’s gaze, is it really safe to say that we’re just made that way, made to brave the pain?”

It is evident Eisley have been around for some time. Not many bands could just burst onto the scene with a record of this quality; it just seems so complete. From beginning to finish, it is a record I thoroughly enjoyed. I wasn’t sure what to hope for from ‘The Valley’, but they’ve approach this studio record with a steely determination and have maintained the fine form they managed to conjure up with ‘Fire Kite’.

It’d be unfair to lump Eisley into the bursting genre that is indie rock, though it is what they are – and they do it well. If there’s any justice, they’ll snowball and gain the recognition their work warrants.

1. The Valley
2. Smarter
3. Watch It Die
4. Sad
5. Oxygen Mask
6. Better Love
7. I Wish
8. Kind
9. Mr. Moon
10. Please
11. Ambulance