The Dear Elaines
Whatsoever-never
Workaholics on Holiday!/BSBTA
The fact that one has to strain to even half-hear whatever is happening on "Whatsoever-never" doesn't help one in siding favorably with the EP. I can't really pass proper judgment on a recording that sounds like it is being relayed to me from a live show via a friend's mobile... though, any band who would allow their songs to be released with this type of production have to understand that some critics are going to shrink away from it (and this goes doubly for the label). Lo-fi doesn't even really do the sound justice. That said, "Whatever happened to Jesamine?", a Beatles-like composition, would be a damned fine summer song if it could only be shared with friends without feeling slightly embarrassed for doing so (especially when you could be listening to the Beatles themselves or any other band that took the time to be properly produced). I would encourage the Dear Elaines to rerecord some of their songs in a proper studio, even a basement set up that a hopeful engineer has crafted, anything so that we can actually hear the songs. I feel I would really like the results.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
