1. The Winning Numbers 2. Roll Like Dice 3. My Last Sting 4. Made Myself Invisible 5. This Time Around 6. Don't Want You In 7. Awake 8. i 9. What Can Be Done At This Point 10. At The Edge Of The World
ELAN What Can Be Done At This Point
Elan is a band you have probably never heard of, but after reading this review, hopefully you will venture out and listen. This is the third review I have done on them, and each time it just gets better and better. What Can Be Done At This Point is an older release from 2007, but that doesn’t mean it’s old. Not a chance. The thing about this band is it sounds fresh, no matter when you listen to it. A band from a little town in Mexico that has made their fame by selling millions of records in English, Elan is a blend of Joplin meets Dylan and the heartbeat of the 1970’s in a world that needs a dose of passion. This music will sink into your soul.
The band consists of Elán (vocals, keyboard), Juan Carlo DeFan (lead guitar), Carlos Padilla Maqueo (bass) and Michael “Cheech” Bitar DeFan (drums) and Muaricio “The Duck” Lopez.
“The Winning Numbers” is a song that I have grown to really love. The percussion starts up with a light as air tapping and the keyboard and guitar float you on a cloud of musical bliss, even before Elán begins with her ambient voice. The song takes off as the multi-instrumentation weaves seamlessly together and Elán’s voice sears through your soul like a siren’s song. This piece is rich with texture and is one of the best songs on the album.
“My Last Sting” is a vicious little number that will haunt you. The multi-instrumentation is tight and the composition could hold a bathtub full of water. This piece hovers over the dark side of romance and the edgy aspects of a love on the rocks.The song is a blend between a grifter scenario and a relationship gone wrong. It is a lot like taking a lick of ground glass and expecting not to get hurt. Delicious. The funky guitar riffs and vocals that sear into the back of your mind and you just want more.
“Don’t Want You In” has a slower and more thoughtful feel than some of the other songs on the album. Relationships that fall apart and heartbreak are a central theme in this piece. The multi-instrumentation floats in the background, with an occasional guitar riff that springs out of nowhere as Elán takes you down the path of carnage and bittersweet love.You have to let go and move on without the one you love out of sheer necessity.
Elan is a group that has been relatively obscure until their most recent tour across the US. With the release of all their previous works and their new album See Us Spin, an American audience is finally getting to taste the awesome secret that Mexico has kept for years. What Can Be Done At This Point has some of Elán’s best works like “The Winning Numbers” and “My Last Sting.” Elán’s vocals are gritty and visceral and no matter which album you are listening to, one thing remains the same. You always want more. This group brings back the magic of Dylan and Joplin from the 70’s and throws in a little blood and ground glass to mix it up. I highly recommend this album.
Key Tracks-The Winning Numbers, My Last Sting, Don’t Want You In
