Private Eleanor, No Straight Lines

No Straight Lines by Private Eleanor is the Baltimore alt-pop band’s third album, and its seems to do well at fitting into what I call the Garden State aesthetic. No, I’m not talking about the fact that Baltimore is near New Jersey — I’m talking about music that could have fit on the soundtrack for the movie Garden State. Those of you that know what I mean can stop reading right now, because it perfectly encapsulates the sound of this album, and you like it, you find it dreary and depressing, or you like it because you find it dreary and depressing. I actually like it, but I find that the album as a whole may be a tad repetitive for folks who don’t dig on Elliot Smith or Nick Drake. Each song as a whole is pleasant and pretty, and I will be listening to this album in the future, but it’s very hard to differentiate one song from another, which is not necessarily a bad thing for the ambient feel of the album.

No-depression fans and shoegazers will find this album a great treat, but most other folks will probably tire of listening to it after a few tracks, unless it’s shuffled in with other music.