1. Bad Days Are Gone 2. This Old Machine 3. Stranger 4. Who Made You 5. Peace and Quiet 6. Black Widow 7. Bleed Me 8. Everything You've Ever Wanted 9. The Action
ELAN See Us Spin
ELAN are a brother and sister led quintet from the little town of Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, Mexico. The band is comprised of Elán (lead vocals, keyboard), Juan Carlo DeFan (lead guitar, co-producer), Carlos Padilla Maqueo (bass) and Michael “Cheech” Bitar DeFan (drums). If you enjoy musicians like Bob Dylan, Melissa Etheridge and the Indigo Girls, you will love their sound.
See Us Spin is their first US release. A blend of blues with a gritty edge that speaks of alternative rock, this album struck me from the first note as something special.
With the first wail of the guitar on “Bad Days Are Gone” you have to know you are in for a musical experience that will leave you well satisfied. Elán leaves an edgy scorch mark right through your speakers as her voice demands your attention. The gritty riffs, textured percussion and rockin vocals take you on a journey right into the sound of the 70’s.
“Stranger” is a powerhouse of a song that reeks of desperate love and heartache. Very bluesy and edgy, this song takes you into the dark corners of a nightclub as shadows gyrate across crowded dance floors. Your eyes meet a stranger that you know you must have. Now. The sexual tension is palpable. The deep guitar riffs lead you down the road to damnation, with Elán’s voice casting the spell that pushes you over the edge. The song is visceral. Juan Carlo resurrects the era of Fillmore auditoriums with a guitar performance that is full of grit, ground glass and maybe a bit of heart’s blood. You have to bleed to play like that and it shows.
“Bleed Me” is a song that travels inward on a voyage into the soul. It is about need and wanting. Slow burning guitar riffs send tendrils of smoke wafting across the background of this piece. Elán’s vocals smolder and marry well with the textured melodies going on behind the voice. It is a more deliberate piece, but one that reaches inward and tugs at the deepest parts of us. Bleeding out for things we desire most can become second nature. It takes a fine line not to drown.
ELAN is virtually unknown in the United States. Having centered the majority of their career in Mexico, they are the first band to sing in English and make a killing with over 1.7 million albums sold. Focusing on the gritty blues and alternative style of the 70’s, ELAN sounds much like Bob Dylan, Melissa Etheridge, Janice Joplin and Skynyrd. The sheer raw talent of the band is in every note. Each track has its own personality and this album will be one that stays in my collection for a long time. Now on tour in the US, I am sure that this album is going to be a megawatt hit.
