The Gobblers Knob

Often times, an artist or a band may get wrapped up in the effort to conform to a sound or style rather than seeking to create a vibe that actually fits them more effectively than many of the preordained titles and labels available really do.  When Travis Hopper, lead singer and songwriter for Dallas-based Elkhart, was prepping for a show with guitarist Michael Crowder, they seemed to have a joint epiphany about how that night’s show, as well as the general direction of the band’s sound, would proceed from then on out. After listening to The Moon, it isn’t any surprise to learn that bands such as Red House Painters and Calexico were in heavy rotation at the rehearsal space, as Elkhart also leaves the listener with the inability to paint them into the “Alt-Country” corner while still posessing many of the twangier elements that many associate with the quasi-genre . Don’t mistake their influence-by-osmosis for lack of an individual identity however. Hopper told me via email that he and his band mates were tired of “doing something that felt like trying on someone else’s clothes – writing these pop songs that could be anyone’s songs.“ 

Using the memories that Hopper has carried from his hometown of Houston, Elkhart has created an exemplary document that can almost be considered a concept album. When many bands are creating a signature sound or feel, there is an extremely fine line that is traversed between the areas of cohesion or theme and merely monotonous.  With the hushed and whispery vocals of Hopper tying the 9 tracks of The Moon together, this album establishes a pace that never crosses over to mundane or bland, but presents a mood that compels the listener to join along as if reading a book and discovering more as the story continues to unfold.

Speaking of Houston, when Hopper sings, “Battery sparks burst like fireflies / cigarrette butt and the last of the Bud Light“, he isn’t merely listing random objects, he is transporting you to the scene of the rhyme (yep, I just said that). Many of the lyrics on The Moon serve to provide exposition and effectively provide a sepia-toned translation of many things that make up each of our memories of the past. This is a great example of a band cutting ties to a safe sound and looking to, perhaps, add another “Alt” onto any other “Alt” that many will try and lump them in with.

Check out Elkhart’s Music on their Myspace page