We first got hooked on Sholi after hearing their promising demos and catching their tight live show. But for all of their talent, the trio had a limited recorded output. While Sholi spent time — a lot of it — prepping their debut album, it became something of a running joke to confront the members of the band with the demand that they “put the [expletive deleted] record out already!” We weren’t the only ones demanding more. After much work — recording, arranging, and mixing, and then doing more of all three — Sholi, the album, came out last week on Quarterstick/Touch and Go Records, and is worth the long wait.
Having first interviewed the band a couple of years ago, we were pleased to visit with them again to discuss the new release. What impressed us most on this second go-around is the sense that all of their time and effort has really paid off, helping the trio to forge a really strong idea about their music — what it means, how it should sound, and how it feels. How many groups can create a fully-fleshed out aesthetic this enjoyable on their first album? With melodic indie, math, and prog rock elements sharing delicately-balanced space in the group’s transcendent mini-epics, Sholi is an album that bears our highest recommendation. We’ll be excited to watch as more listeners discover this excellent band.
We sat down with Payam, Eric and Jon last week to speak about the new album’s long journey to completion. We include four great songs from Sholi in the episode.
Upcoming Shows:
Sholi’s CD release party is part of Noise Pop 2009:
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Bottom of the Hill
with The Dead Trees, Everest, Jake Mann
9pm, $12, All Ages
