The entertainment industry is rampant with celebrities and musicians who want to have a successful crossover career or flourishing side projects. Some celebrities are able to find an audience for their vanity projects. They manage to have both successful music and movie careers. The same goes for musicians who break into acting. Some, like Queen Latifah, have achieved this hard-to-accomplish goal. On the other hand, there are those actors and musicians the public should be begging to put down the microphone or never read another script again. 50 Cent, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Hilary Duff and Paris Hilton (who should quit both arenas) come to mind when thinking about unsuccessful crossover efforts.
How many musicians come to mind, however, when you think of noteworthy side projects and the ability to simultaneously perform in two critically-acclaimed groups? I find it hard to think of many artists that have formed thriving bands while maintaining the outstanding nature of their original groups. Yet, there are side-project bands which have excelled at this, like The Postal Service.
The Elected is another band that shows promise in their new album, Sun, Sun, Sun and also the capability to advance this category of successful side groups into the mainstream. The Elected is headed by Rilo Kiley's guitarist and co-songwriter, Blake Sennett (whom you might have seen acting in "Salute Your Shorts" and "Boy Meets World"). The band alternates between the drumming of Jason Boesel (Sennett's Rilo Kiley band mate) and Ryland Steen (formerly of Reel Big Fish). In the same fashion, the bassist of The Elected switches from Daniel Brummel to Mike Runion. Mike Bloom completes the band as this indie super group's multi-instrumentalist, playing harmonica, organ and lap steel.
The Elected's first album, Me First, was said to be inspired by the breezy music of the '60s, while Sun, Sun, Sun continues their use of musical styles of the past. In Sun, Sun, Sun the focus has been shifted from the '60s to the cool rock of the '70s. The group cites The Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Pink Floyd and The Eagles as the main source of inspiration for the album. Many songs on the CD convey traditional '70s style. I heard more Queen than The Grateful Dead in the tracks. The song "Did Me Good" is, according to the band, a "throwback to the blues" and it brings Freddie Mercury to mind, especially with the use of an organ. The album does not only resound of the greats of the '70s, but many tracks have a similarity to the twang and full sound of modern bands like Limbeck and Beulah.
Sun, Sun, Sun utilizes both powerfully skilled instrumentation and fun, clever, sometimes nostalgic lyrics. The song "Not Going Home" has often been called the centerpiece of the record, but nearly all the songs deliver. Each one helps build a well-organized and unified album while keeping an individual sound. "Desiree" and "Beautiful Rainbow" provide relaxed, soft songs to balance some of the guitar-infused numbers like "Biggest Star." I'll Be Your Man" is reminiscent of '60s pop with a modern-day, humorous twist. Rilo Kiley fans will recognize "Fireflies in a Steel Mill" as Jenny Lewis's lyrical styling. Sun, Sun, Sun is a well-written, well-recorded and fun album. It showcases the overachieving and workaholic ways of The Elected as a perfect example of a side project gone right.
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