Me First

by MacKenzie WilsonThe Elected's debut album, Me First, is the sunny rays of Los Angeles by the way of Nebraskan solitude. While it may be a kind album on the surface, issues of faded childhood dreams and memories and disappointments of the family line allow self-indulgence to be OK. In fact, it's well overdue for those overachieving people-pleasers who feel defeated, yet hold a spark for a smile. Rilo Kiley multi-instrumentalists Blake Sennett and Jason Boesel are playful throughout the quirky storylines of Me First, and both seem more confident in embracing their love for country music. Rilo Kiley's second album, The Execution of All Things, had a difficult time deciding its country fate; however, the Elected use it sparingly ("Waves") with electronic bits, and avoid Rilo Kiley comparisons in the process. A soft harmonica on the hushing waltz "Greetings in Braille" sets the haunting tone of Me First. Backing vocals and a rousing chorus by Azure Ray's Orenda Fink and fellow Rilo Kiley bandmate Jenny Lewis offer an icy love disposition on "Don't Blow It," whereas a woozy mix of a piano and woodwinds on the carnivalesque "Don't Get Your Hopes Up" is much more evident of the Elected's refined sense of humor on Me First. The album is deserving of the attention of any Rilo Kiley fan, for Sennett and Boesel's pop design is interesting and far from sounding predictable. Sennett establishes himself as an artist with immense talent. Me First naturally speaks for itself.