Describe Eliza

DESCRIBE ELIZA – POCKETFUL OF YOU EP 2005


I was growing disillusioned with the Melbourne music scene before Describe Eliza’s ‘Pocketful of
You’ EP arrived on my desk. It’s not that gems of musical brilliance don’t exist: it’s just that
there are so many people making music down here that you have to sift through a couple of
hundred Bon Jovi-a-likes before you reach anything worth listening to.

Cue Eliza Hull. One feisty young lady with a powerful voice, catchy melodies and some sort of
crazy mix of funky soulful electronica. Seriously, you listen to it and try to describe Eliza.
Accompanied by John Steer, Jy Hildred, Leigh Fisher and Josh Jones, Eliza’s haunting vocals form the base of an orchestral arrangement including drums, synth, bass, keys, guitars, flute
and strings.

The title track, ‘Pocketful of You’ features twice on the EP, and the edited version is superb. I’m
a sucker for strings on almost any track, and ‘Pocketful of You’ incorporates a highly effective
strings arrangement as well as some neat scratching. It’s an odd combination which works
incredibly well, allowing Describe Eliza to produce a sound that is emotive, enticing and decidedly visual. I’d love to see this performed live, and so should you.

At times, it’s as if the sound is suspended in the air, Eliza’s penetrating vocals reaching through
the room. It’s a great transition into the second track, ‘Keep This (The Bass)’, which focuses on drum and bass without actually venturing into out and out drum n bass territory. A good foot tapper for the office, this track is probably a great body wiggler for a live venue.

Throughout this EP, I have a constant feeling that these tracks would be awesome soundtrack
material: I feel as if I should be watching the climactic moments of a movie. Maybe it’s
something about the orchestration; how the vocals are more another part of the music than
dominating the track as we traditionally see. At some point, I would love to see what kind of
video a director would choose to put to this kind of music. I’m sure I will: this is a fantastic debut and without doubt heralds a successful rise for Describe Eliza. With recent supports of K- Oscillate and even the Stereo MCs, it seems that the rest of the scene is already starting to
catch on to Describe Eliza. Check them out, you won’t regret it!

http://www.describeeliza.com


Review by Emily Burton
Editor, Soulshine.com.au - Emily Burton

Describe Eliza – Pocketful Of You
Upon hearing “Pocketful Of You”, I felt like marching to the local lounge/bar and telling them to replace their usual electronic lounge tripe with this EP. Its moody melancholy feel makes the ultimate background music, yet the songs and production are striking enough that you won’t find it left there. In fact, you may find your glass of wine goes untouched for some time if you become absorbed in this one.

Singer Eliza Hall’s voice moves from tough and gutsy to ultra sweet so frequently (“Retrospect” is a great example of an incredible vocal performance) and the loops are so well produced and carefully chosen that the listener can’t help but remain interested. A smooth continuity is maintained throughout the EP, however each song has its own unique feel that keeps things interesting.

If the distorted vocals and electronic rock production of “Move Over” turned you on almost ten years ago, you maybe have found your musical home circa 2005.
- © 2005 Aardvark Ranch