“If anyone sees a bag with $470 in it, I seem to have lost
it. Just let me know.” Standing on the well-worn stage at the
Blind Pig early last Tuesday night, this quiet request came from
The Reputation frontwoman, Elizabeth Elmore.
With a timid smile on her face and electric guitar in hand, she
apologetically stated, “I just took my bar exam.”
Exuding bubbly blondness and an honest humility, the audience
couldn’t help but forgive her. She then tore into the pure,
arresting, opening riff of “Bottle Rocket Battles,” a
track from The Reputation’s latest release on LookOut!
Records, To Force a Fate.
When Elizabeth Elmore left her former band Sarge in 1999 to
attend Northwestern Law School, she continued to play
independently, releasing a single with Hey Mercedes’ Bob
Nanna. Eventually, with her studies under control, Elizabeth
decided it was once again time to be a rock star. With the help of
Joel Root (bass), Sean Hulet (guitar) and Kent Stewert (drums), her
power pop rock band The Reputation, was born.
To Force a Fate proves the old adage of beauty in simplicity.
Yet, like a Milk Dud, there is something hauntingly dark underneath
the smooth, sweet surface: something to chew on.The album’s
opening track, “Let This Rest,” starts with quiet,
falling, guitar riffs and basic 4/4 drum beats. Yet the moment the
listener begins to get wary, a rising electric lick catches him and
holds on tight. Elizabeth comes in, subdued, candy-sweet:
“You’re always so sick of me / Yeah you tell me all the
time / Well I’m selfish and hateful, you’re lazy
ungrateful.” She cries out, “If we could just let this
rest / It would get better in time I promise.” Between the
calm, addicting guitar lines and the hushed power of
Elizabeth’s voice lies a message.
The album’s main focus is Elizabeth’s relationship
struggles, and as the album progresses the shell slowly dissolves
away. “The Ugliness Kicking Around,” the ninth track,
reaches the core, as, against the background of strings and piano,
Elizabeth hopefully cries out: “Yeah it must be getting
better.” It becomes apparent the song is itself a struggle:
as it progresses, the sweet tone in Elizabeth’s becomes
heart-wrenching as she cries, “And I wish you’d bend
the truth / When you said you’d never lay a hand on me / And
god will damn you / For all the ugliness kicking around inside of
me.”
And that’s the story of the album: simple complexity.
Three chord progressions, syncopated, incessant rhythms and the
undeniable charm of Elmore. There is a brutal honesty, a deeper
level, in this album that may be overlooked on first listen.
That’s OK though. It’s still good to drive to.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.