Leland and the Silver Wells LP

Leland and the Silver Wells LP

URL: https://lelandandthesilverwells.com/

If you’re the type of person who enjoys music that is as intellectually provocative as it is rhythmic and memorable, then you’ve probably noticed how little content there is on FM radio these days that is worthy of repeat listening. Artists like Logic and Cardi B are fine and well some of the time, but listening to plastic, artificially-generated pop music all of the time is a good way to wear down your sonic palate to the point of total dullness. For the hardcore music enthusiast, most everything on the right side of the dial doesn’t cut it anymore; we need texture, colorful harmonies and songs that challenge the way we view pop music as a model of art and as a reflection of the world around us. We need more artists like Leland and the Silver Wells. Leland Ettinger has made quite a name for herself by rejecting the regulatory nature of pop music since the inception of her music career, and in her band’s latest self-titled album, she makes it clear that she isn’t about to start creatively backing down now.

Ettinger shows off a terrific amount of growth as a songwriter and as a vocalist in this new record, and despite its fairly robust running time and plethora of intricately composed content, there isn’t a scrap of fat to be found in the whole of Leland and the Silver Wells. All nine of the tracks are highly stylized exposés of the Silver Wells’ most jarring melodies recorded to date, and you can tell that no minor detail went unchecked when producing this collection of songs. Ettinger is becoming one of the strongest and most recognizable voices of her generation, and unlike most of her closest rivals, it’s hard to think of any other artist who she sounds like or resembles to the point of comparison. Her music stands a cut above the rest as unique and virtuosic in numerous areas from the instrumentation to even the final mix of the record, and it would be nothing short of criminal to ignore her resilient approach in light of her long break away from the recording industry.

I’ve been saying it for a very long time, but I honestly do need to see Leland and the Silver Wells live at least once before I finish my career as a music journalist. Their sound is one of the most captivating and threateningly original in the business today, and few could deny that it would be thrilling to see how their calculated music translates in a live setting, where almost anything and everything can happen. The stage is the ultimate test of what an artist can really do, and I have a feeling based on Ettinger’s passion in the studio that seeing this band in person could possibly put every one of their rivals out of business when it comes to measuring talent between the two. I’ll have to find out for myself to be certain, and hopefully the Silver Wells won’t wait too long before hitting the road in support of their latest recorded masterpiece.

SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/leland-ettinger

Mindy McCall