Eliot Wilder
The Sentimental Education of Eliot Wilder

(self-released)

eliotwilder.com

Wilder hits all the right notes on The Sentimental Education of Eliot Wilder. Taking the title from the Flaubert novel, Wilder combines simple lyrical imagery with interesting sounds to create a really pleasant surprise of a recording. Combining crunchy guitars, samples, ambience and several styles, Wilder creates a recording that is hard to define. His voice is Chris Bell-esque in spots, Tom Waits-esque in spots and Lennon-esque in spots. Noteworthy is that the CD was recorded at Wooly Mammoth Studios in Boston, a fine establishment that turns out high quality recordings.

The first track, "The Life is the Little Red Wagon," embodies the sincere innocence of the recording in its lyrics: "...you pull for me, I'll pull for you." "Sensitive Boy" has a Hunky Dory vibe with a nice harmony laced bridge. "True" has a vocal with a "Holocaust" Chilton quality. Track 4, "Hard Won" and "Nobody" are highlight rockers that remind me of a cross between Warren Zevon and Armed Forces Costello. "Gone", "Everyone's Gone to the Moon" and "My Story" are nice slices of psychedelia with the right combination of descending harmonies, ambience, backward sound waves and big sampled beats. "Not Too Far to Fall" has contrast, using acoustic guitar and a big chorus to keep the sequencing of the CD strong.

"Better Days" is the perfect closer for this diverse record, summing up for me a hopeful aural portrait that is this CD. There are lessons we all learn in life, an education if you will. What I have learned in editing Fufkin is that there is a lot of high quality music out there that flies way under the radar. This is a quality CD representative of the great music being made with little budget, little fanfare and a big heart. Nice work.

The CD can be purchased directly from Eliot by contacting him at blakeypie@aol.com.

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