REVIEW: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Let It Sway

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Let It Sway
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Back in May, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin released the first single from their new album, Let It Sway, entitled "Sink/Let It Sway". It turns out that song was rather indicative of the new album's tone and direction. Let It Sway proves that there are still bands around making strong indie pop records. But you know, it's not just that; it's an album that sees a band at the top of its game. What sets Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin apart from their contemporaries is their ability to seamlessly fuse multiple riffs and passages together into one cohesive body of music. Whether it's the '50s surf sounds and pedal steel twang that drive "Made to Last" or the power chord kick and playful tone of "All Hail Dracula!," SSLYBY demonstrate a knack for fusing genres together, all the while making some damn catchy tunes along the way. By tackling multiple styles, the band really does take us on one hell of an audible venture. What characterizes these songs is their cohesive power; it's an album of subtle eclecticism that sounds as though it's the product of one band rather than several -- and if that's not commendable, I don't know what it is.

Nothing ever feels forced as it all sounds so in the pocket, whether through the sharp drums or the rich interplay between the guitar tones and riffs. Even in the face of the album's studio polish, it still manages to sound rather organic and loose, illustrated in the band's jump into the ramshackle jangle guitar attack of songs such as "Sink/Let It Sway" and "My Terrible Personality". Let It Sway then is not simply the album's title, but the album's motto, as well. The songs feel free, unconstrained, and, in a way, carefree -- what eventually equates to a record that you can always turn to for a quick pick-me-up. At their core, what's interesting about this batch of songs is not so much their clear conviction or obvious place in today's music landscape as much as it is the fact that these songs have a sort of timelessness that few albums hold down in the independent music community. If anything, Let It Sway is a sort of time capsule that saves some of the best elements of indie rock from the past two decades: the hooks, the adventurous riffing, the willingness to take risks, the down-to-earth character that makes the music that much more relatable. In ten years, when someone asks what a great indie pop/rock record from the '10s was, it won't be much of stretch to offer up the reply "Let It Sway by Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin."

"Back In The Saddle" lights the match, with Celtic undertones and the 1-2 punch of electric guitar and rolling snare; a song that, right off the bat, has you singing along with the spirited background vocals. "Sink/Let It Sway" is the wick and burns right down to the last thread, exploding into an energetic, distortion-coated ending that sets the pace for the tracks that follow. "Banned (By the Man)" is built around the slow, thick chug of bass guitar. It carries you into a chorus of "na na na" that adds up to a sweet, simple-yet-effective melody that's hard not to hum along with. "In Pairs" continues the trend, with a mix of swishing and swirling reverberations that bounce around in your skull, leaving the door wide open for the infectious chorus melody to take over. The pattern never sways too far off in any one direction as the album progresses, taking a breather with the beautiful and delicate piano and acoustic song "Stuart Gets Lost Dans Le Metro" and eventually winding down to the laid back surf rock style of album closer "Made to Last".

Let It Sway isn't aiming to make the record books. It's a fun record, carried by an arsenal of consistent hooks, catchy melodies, and dynamic arrangements. There's more to this band than their name, and, in much the same way, Let It Sway is an album full of songs that, at face value, sound nice enough to hold your interest, but that don't provide all that much. It's after repeated listens that you notice that there's more going on here with the careful fusion and care that goes into their music -- the attention to detail is where SSLYBY soars. Whether it's alt country in "My Terrible Personality," '90s power pop/alternative rock in "Phantomwise," or '80s guitar pop in "Animalkind," the band never sounds as if they're straining to make one genre or style work over another. More than anything else, this album conveys a certain sense of celebration. It's a triumphant statement by a band that has more than paid its dues in the independent music community over the past 10 years. With Let It Sway, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin air pride in their past and a clear confidence in a promising future.

BUY: Let It Sway is out today on Polyvinyl. Pick it up right here on CD or here on vinyl.