Some bands seem to have to work years to create a sound for themselves while other bands have that natural talent where their music sounds like they’ve been around for years. It’s the latter that I got from listening to JL Stiles on the new CD House of Murmurs. From the moment the first song “All In A Day” played I thought I was listening to a band that I’ve grown up listening to. Maybe it’s because I kind of did grow up listening to mellow beats as well as songs from the 60’s and 70’s that where trying to make a statement with their lyrics and beats. Listening to the songs on House of Murmurs reminds me of those songs from that time where music was trying to be a statement that would change a persons point of view on life.
Though the songs that JL Stiles is playing on this CD might remind me of songs from the past, they have a modern beat to them. The songs are clear, precise, and very easy to listen to and enjoy. JL Stiles has a voice that gives the songs their mellowness, even though the instruments are doing the same, it’s the vocals that stay smooth and low key. This is a CD that would make for an excellent relaxation CD to play. Though the songs have energy it’s a low key energy that makes you hear the beats and rhythms but don’t make you want to bounce of the walls or scream.
What made this album a enjoyable listen is that it has a natural sound to it. There’s no hint of any of these songs being put through a sound mixer in the attempt to make it sound like the band knows how to play or that the lead vocals actually has a voice for music. I imagine that if I where to be at a beach with these guys and all they had where their instruments with no help from a mixer, this is the sound I would still be hearing from them. Another aspect to these songs that I enjoyed was all the different sounds being used. There’s not just the typical drums and guitar playing, there’s a marimba, a trumpet, and even a sax being used. These different instruments give the songs a unexpected but enjoyable sound that also makes the tracks sound different.