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Play Not My Home Play The Hole You're In Play Samples of the entire album 
Purchase this CD from Engine Company Records |
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| About Eyelevel "You want to know a secret? Those buttons in elevators that say CLOSE DOOR? Most of them aren't connected to anything. Usually, it's just two wires dangling on the other side of the face plate. Those buttons are there to keep people from freaking out while they're standing in enclosed spaces." Bassist Jeremy Pflug half-smiles, and it's impossible to know if he's telling the truth. His attempt to clarify is spectacularly unhelpful: "Sometimes I'm joking," he offers. A glance at laconic lead singer/songwriter John Pompeo yields little but the face of a man pre-occupied with the next song, while gregarious younger brother Steve (drums) fills the odd silence with laughter. "He'd know, too, man. He used to sell elevators for a living. For real." So goes one explanation behind the title Elevator Plans, the debut from Philadelphia, PA's Eyelevel, although the ethereal guitars and weightless vocal arrangements reveal much higher aspirations. Behind eviscerating lyrics and the husky baritone of guitarist/songwriter John Pompeo, Eyelevel charts a path somewhere between Coldplay and Jeff Buckley while maintaining the clear-eyed directness that is a trademark of their hometown. In songs like "Breaking Me Down" and "Butterfly," life frees and binds with equal weight, and yet the confusion it brings is always expressed with striking honesty. Echoes of the Pompeo's tight sibling relationship crop up in the repeated refrain of "I hit it to you/you hit it back to me," but as the song "Back To Me" progresses, it seems that all three members are speaking to each other in the impenetrable language of rock bands; "Are you good at keeping secrets?" John asks in "A Secret Obsession," and it sounds like a veiled invitation for the listener to join in. After building a repertoire and a following on the Philadelphia indie music scene, the band caught the attention of New York City-based producer Blake Morgan (Lenny Kravitz, Mike Errico, Shimmerplanet) and staunch indie label Engine Company Records. Commuting the stretch of Jersey Pike between NYC and Philadelphia, the band picked up guest appearances by Mike Errico (who plays lap steel and also supplies the band's photography), Blake Morgan (backing vocals), Shimmerplanet's Carolyn Eufrasio (backing vocals) and Philadelphia music legend Phil "Butcher Bros." Nicolo (Fugees, Pete Yorn, Dishwalla, etc.) who mastered the disc. "It was so amazing to have Phil work on our disc. The records he's made have been a huge influence on us, and in our minds, Studio 4 is like a castle from The Lord of the Rings, or something. Working there was a dream come true." So, do the CLOSE DOOR buttons actually work, or not? Jeremy grins. "That's an industry secret. I've said too much already." John nods approvingly, and Steve laughs out loud. Eyelevel is as good at keeping secrets as they are at letting you know they have one. Visit the Eyelevel Web Site |