CD REVIEW: The Elms "The Great American Midrange"

The Elms are may very well be the next great American rock band. It's true that American rock music is alive an well these days, but no one does it better than The Elms do on their newest album. Every song on the album could be played on the radio right now and become a hit. The first single, "Back To Indiana" has a catchy singable hook and a relatable story. Unfortunately the message in "This Is How The World Will End" is all too true, but the upside is that the song is not about demise, but rather, about hope. The band seriously shows off their rock chops on "Strut" and their sensitive side comes out on "The Little Ways." "Unless God Appears First" and "Long Gone" are potentially the best straightforward American rock standards on the album. It's amazing how these guys slipped through the cracks and didn't hit it off big with their previous album, but then again, had they put together this string of songs then, they'd be a household name already. The bottom line is that this is quite possibly the best American rock album of 2009.