Review Summary: The Valley is comfortably Eisley’s most accessible album to date, and one of the most genuine and honest records of 2011.
Eisley started out as a band whose focus was on having fun with vivacious themes centered around the DuPree sisters’ mellifluous voices.
Room Noises was a playful album of whimsy with sensational imagery sprung full-clad from quirky lyrics and infectious pop hooks, while the ironically titled - and occasionally overwrought -
Combinations saw them falter a little as they strayed from their roots in an attempt to fuse various themes. In a time where growth and maturity are so important, it makes sense that Eisley became a little less peculiar and a little edgier with their sound, but still, they were having fun and managed to churn out a (mostly) enjoyable second album. Bearing all of this in mind, their third album,
The Valley, has a looming sense of melancholy - far removed from the fairytale romance and exuberant, colorful nature of past records. This shift isn’t particularly surprising though, given the circumstances surrounding
The Valley’s conception: written in the wake of anguish, perpetuated by failed relationships, a broken engagement, and a divorce, it’s an album that certainly wears its heart on its sleeve.
What
The Valley then takes form of is an older, less innocent portrayal of Eisley - one of broken optimism and shattered notions of love. The album revolves around discontent (“Smarter”), acceptance (“Mr. Moon”), and complete and utter defeat (“Ambulance”). It’s all quite sad. The character portrayed in “Please” eagerly begs their former paramour to reconsider their love: “Please, oh please, don’t do this to me / Baby please, oh please, don’t get over me”, while likewise, Stacy’s tonal shift from “You’re a vision of truth, and that’s what I love” to “Give me one more chance” in the chorus of “Oxygen Mask,” perfectly transitions from admiration to plea. The messages are put rather simply and bluntly but manage to come across as genuine and innately human. It all accentuates to the crowning jewel, “Ambulance,” a song led by gorgeous piano and strings that conclude the album on a note free of solace or piece of mind. It helps the main purport of the album and has some of the most touching lyrics of any Eisley song: “Thought you were made for me / And we shared our history / But in time you'll tear your eyes far away”.
Even though
The Valley is Eisley’s most emotionally conscious record to date, it doesn’t fail to satisfy the craving for a good hook and flourishing vocal harmonies. Quite the contrary: every song here (bar “Ambulance”) could challenge some of the finest pop tunes of 2011. The energetic “Smarter” is the pop-rock gem of the album, unforgiving and unashamedly bitter: “If I sound angry, I'm sorry / This body can only cry for so long / And if you want to blame me, then go on / I'm smiling now cause I'm smarter than you think”. “Watch It Die” is considerably upbeat and pleasant-sounding with hand-claps, piano, and a gorgeous guitar melody - even the fawning adoration of “I Wish” comes off as warm and comforting. The emotional aspects of
The Valley are nicely covered up in the guise of hooks and resplendent vocals. It helps reflect Eisley’s musical evolution; they sound a lot less playful and endearing than on
Room Noises and
Combinations, but they’ve improved and matured very well. It’s as people say, writing under the influence of negative emotions can often yield the best results.
