Elk City leaders
Ray Ketchem (drums and production) and
Renee LoBue (vocals) had plenty to keep them busy during the eight years that separated 2010's
House of Tongues and 2018's
Everybody's Insecure.
Ketchem opened a successful recording studio in Montclair, New Jersey, and
LoBue occasionally helped him out with various projects. But you have to give them credit; they've managed to stay firmly on message after a long layoff from the band.
Everybody's Insecure doesn't entirely pick up where
House of Tongues left off;
Ketchem's production skills have gotten a bit sharper with time, and the album sounds a bit fuller than much of their previous work. The set also finds
Ketchem and
LoBue working with some new collaborators; guitarist
Sean Eden is the only other holdover from the last incarnation of
Elk City, with keyboardist
Carl Baggeley and bassist
Martin Olson debuting on this LP. But the well-mannered and finely crafted arty pop that's been the band's stock in trade since 2000 is ultimately little changed here, and
LoBue's coolly theatrical vocal style and thoughtful if oblique lyrical stance are as strong and distinctive as they've ever been.
Elk City are quite good at generating melodies that fit their template; tunes like "25 Lines" and "No Depth" display an admirable amount of hooks and energy, while more introspective tracks such as "Souls in Space" and "He's Having a Baby" show off the band's ensemble skills. At their best,
Elk City sound like what
10,000 Maniacs could have been if they'd grown past their folkie inclinations, and
Everybody's Insecure shows the group has matured gracefully, sounding smart and adult without tossing aside the energy of their younger days. ~ Mark Deming
