Elliot Scott is a composer/singer/musician that creates soundscapes that get inside your head and never find their way out. There are several reasons why the music on Danger Is Here has that effect on you. Scott produces a catchy blend of electronica-pop that is reminiscent of a different time in music. Think Bowie during the Eno era (the tech albums-Low, Heroes, Lodger) and The Pet Shop Boys with colder thought provoking lyrics supported by a conceptual process that weaves intrinsically throughout the entire recording.
There is a great appeal to this kind of music and at the same time, it can be eerie and haunting and put a little chill in your spine. It comes at you in rapid succession as Elliot starts singing all of his mind-bending lyrics. The title track is ominous, particularly when you watch the video, which is an ad for to the Rachel Caine Morganfield Vampire series. You would never know it though; it has you thinking it is a movie. On “Pieces”, he sings about how his heart is in pieces on the floor and he is just a toy to his lover but he is not going to cry even though he “Can’t seem to get this feeling gone” or “Get this lovin’ right” This is a straight from the hip shot aimed at his partner.
This album has an interesting dance club beat to it at times then all at once; it is a futuristic and cold waltz of death. On “Output”, he sings about how his love is breaking up as if he is on a cell phone or trying to see this person on the other side of the video cam. There is a short segment in the middle of the track where the mood shifts and Nate Schneekloth, who contributed the project, plays some rolling acoustic piano to show you his talent for versatility on the keyboards and the ability to play more than the prevailing style of electronic based music. It was as if he removed himself from the entire process to play a prelude to a jazz album. It is a very interesting transition then he jumps back to the initial mood set by the driving and pumping electronic synthesized melt-your-brain apocalypse like it was just a missed beat of the heart.
Every track is hard to forget once you listen to all the lyrics, and find yourself bobbing your head, tapping your feet and then before you know it playing it all over again.
Elliot Scott really has something here and I think realistically there are a few different avenues that this music can take. With the nightclubs and this obsession with vampires, I think there is a big play there with movies and even games.
Check out this album and the video, which is a necessary evil, on Elliot’s My Bands Music profile, you can stream the entire album before you decide to buy tracks or the CD.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-April 12, 2008
