Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Let It Sway

The Springfield, MO quartet known as Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin are back with their brand new studio album, Let It Sway. The follow up to 2008's Pershing finds the group still adhering to the free flowing, independent state of mind that was found on their previous records, and allows the band to mature and flourish with intricate lyrics and captivating melodies.

The album starts off very strong with "Back in the Saddle" a melodic, easy going indie jam that finds lead singer Philip Hickey expressing his mellow, freeform lyrics amongst a charge of electric and lightly percussed drums. "Sink/Let It Sway" is another exquisite track seeing the band bumping it up a notch with a more prevalent drum pattern that also increases the attack of the electric guitars on a much more advanced level that works very well here. "In Pairs" features a melodic explosion with a simultaneous onslaught of guitars, bass, and drums providing for a very enjoyable and fulfilling music experience. The track builds right into the next one, "My Terrible Personality" a country tinged jam that pays homage to the band's Southern roots and also allows them to let loose and have fun. "Everlyn" returns the band back to their comfort level of indie and dream pop that shows the versatility of this band and gives us another reason to pay attention to them.

The disc's second half starts off with "All Hail Dracula!" a melodic, fun filled adventure that features Phillip's vocals entering another stratosphere of greatness with an array of guitars and drums used freely at his disposal. My favorite song off the disc is "Animalkind", a melodically advanced track that shows off all facets of the band in a natural, untouched state. "Phantomwise" is a melancholy, dreamy track with melodies that will make you want to just kick back, relax, and forget about the world around you for awhile. "Made To Last" makes wonderful use out of the drums, which have been very prevalent on many of the disc's subsequent tracks and continues to move the disc along at a steady but manageable pace. We get ready to end the disc with "Cardinal Rules", a tune that adds in some distinct keyboard elements that are spread throughout the disc to add a bit of flavor in order to entice the listener. "Tanks Jam" is a very simple, straightforward track that presents the band in a much different light with no vocals present whatsoever at any point during this song, making this instrumental one of the main selling points of the disc. This year has brought us a number of indie based bands who are daring and think outside of the box on a much larger scale than we had ever anticipated. Bands such as Mumford & Sons and Florence + The Machine have been game changers and have brought us a new breed of creative and adventurous people who will be around the music scene for the foreseeable future. While Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin just started back in 2004, this album has demonstrated that they think in a different light than 99% of the bands out there and have a raw, unfiltered sound to them that music fans crave for these days.

In retrospect, a sonically pleasing and wonderfully executed effort here from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, that gives the listener a new way of exploring music that they won't find in any of the commercial bands out there today, and is a honest, pure, and heartfelt effort that shows all the hard work and determination that these guys have put into their music.

                                                                                                                                 Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. Back in the Saddle
2. Sink/Let It Sway
3. Banned (By the Man)
4. In Pairs
5. My Terrible Personality
6. Everlyn
7. Stuart Gets Lost Dans Le Metro
8. All Hail Dracula!
9. Critical Drain
10. Animalkind
11. Phantomwise
12. Made To Last
13. Bended
14. Cardinal Rules
15. Tanks Jam