The Elected with Nic Armstrong, Mike Bloom

The Elected, fronted by Blake Sennett (Rilo Kiley guitarist/co-songwriter), released its debut album, Me First, in 2004. Recorded sporadically at pal Elliott Smith’s studio with Bright Eyes superman Mike Mogis and The Postal Service’s Jimmy Tamborello, the album was filled with sparse, intimate gems – twinkling pop songs that recalled ‘60s-inspired West Coast pop, the blissful twang of Gram Parsons and the crumpled whispers of Neil Young. Fans of Rilo Kiley will no doubt ally themselves with The Elected’s sharp-witted pop sensibility and remain close by. But Blake’s blatant sonic and thematic departures from that realm – and his allegiance to less orthodox songwriters like Jim Croce and Tom Waits – will no doubt appeal to a broader audience as well.

2011 saw a new record by The Elected, titled Bury Me in My Rings, released through Vagrant Records (former home of The Get Up Kids, current home to PJ Harvey). Familiar faces contributed (longtime Elected guitarist Mike Bloom, the aforementioned Cupp, Bright Eyes’ Mike Mogis), but this album differed from past experience, with fewer initial collaborators. “At first, I just played all the instruments myself,” Blake comments. “I just thought, may as well take it as far as I can alone…then I brought in my friends to fill in the blanks.” The results stand as a singular vision, in what is The Elected’s strongest work to date. For longtime listeners, there are new sounds to enjoy, such as the mid 70′s Bowie bounce of “Go For The Throat,” or the calculated “Miss You” era Stones cum Early Talking Heads groove of ‘Babyface.” Signature tones remain, and can be found on the island sunset serenade “Trip Round the World,” with the melodic slide of the lap steel, the comforting pluck of a ukulele, offering new ears a sense of what’s come before.