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80's New Wave/
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Virginia, North
Carolina, & DC

Eclectic Seven: Self-Titled EP

The five members of Eclectic Seven play the kind of music that makes you think that there are seven members in their ensemble. The first song on their self-titled album, "Green Eyes," is reminiscent of the String Cheese Incident when the Cheese is at its best. The Eclectic Seven does with five members what Cheese does with seven. 

As their band's name indicates, these guys are eclectic. The second song, "Shadows on the Wall," is a funky ska-reggae infused ditty that soothes the soul. The best song on this EP is "Wishing Well" because the guitarist Steve Kimmock's inspired playing goes almost too well with the raspy singer's voice. Even though it's one of their more mellow songs, I can still dig it. "Wishing Well" would just be fantastic live because they only give you a taste of their improvisational talents on the EP. 

I listen to Mexican music when I work in kitchens, so after a long day of hearing Spanish love songs, the last thing on my to-do list was to hear another one. Still, "Andalucia" is just another reason for you to appreciate these guys calling themselves Eclectic Seven. The disc closes with "Shazam," another one of their great soul jams that reminds me of listening to Jack Johnson while drinking a Miller Lite on a comfortably chilly night on a condo balcony in Virginia Beach, where these cool cats happen to represent. The reason I say this is because there is nowhere better than where you are at that particular moment. Of course, I'd rather be at Lake Tahoe drinking a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but you've gotta do the best with what you're given.

I'm proud to say that I've shared classrooms with half of these guys in high school, because I can't even begin to recount the number of times my ex-classmates gave me albums to review and I just couldn't do it because it was so awful. I wanted to smash my CD player just to give me an excuse not to review it. Even though I never got a chance to know these guys, it doesn't matter because that would actually make me biased. I'm going to check them out the next time I'm back in Virginia and I think anyone who can appreciate a well-crafted combination of styles should do so as well.

LEFT OFF THE DIAL's Eclectic Seven page

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