Album Review: Sean Milo - Elgin

EP Rating: B+

You complete me. I love you. I'm lost without you. To even mention how incredibly trite and void of consequence these common little snippets have become is practically banal in itself. Wars were not waged over such petty utterances, and kingdoms certainly did not crumble over a sentiment that could be put up into three meager words. Rather, it has been the inability to articulate the simultaneous angst and buoyancy afforded from love and heartbreak that's been able to drive us away from sanity. It is the knowledge that I love you will never cut it that can send a person into a spiraling demise of self hate and pity. Fortunately for himself and for we listeners, however, Sean Milo has studied up on his metaphors. Elgin is profusely littered with them, offering the listener a slew of untried ways to put such amorous sensations into words. And boy is it refreshing.

As far as song construction goes, no grounds are really broken on the three track EP. Instead, Milo employs his second release to showcase his uncanny ability to expand upon and master a simple songwriting formula, infusing it with novel, heartfelt lyrics that ring true long after the tracks have played out. The title-track finds the singer/songwriter amidst the ultimate postmodernist dilemma, forever venturing to transcend the bounds of language imposing upon expressing such indispensable endearments. In doing so, the resulting sound closely represents that of fellow Northeastern'ers in Tigers On Trains, with the focus on profound songwriting and pleasant melodies overshadowing some of Elgin's repetitiveness that might otherwise detract from it. The closing track is an abridged take on The Cure's 'Plainsong' that offers an equally enjoyable and affecting listen in about one third of the original's time, capturing the same melodramatic feel without the same dragged-out, borderline monotonous intro. Even the trace of disconnect between singer and song on 'Shout, Noah', a remastered track from his slightly less impressive debut, isn't enough to take away from the new release's undeniable character. Milo's comprehensive grasp on language and songwriting allows for Elgin to cement itself as three strong tracks spanning twelve memorable minutes, showing immense promise from an artist worth watching out for in the months to come.

Stream/Free Download