September 19, 2016

Someone Should Be Covering These Songs by P.S. Eliot

The Alabama band’s retrospective is a treasure trove of stellar tunes.


P.S. Eliot
2007-2011
Don Giovanni

Courtesy of Don Giovanni Records

Featuring identical twin sisters Katie (vocals, guitar) and Allison (drums) Crutchfield, Birmingham, Alabama’s P.S. Eliot released two thrilling albums before the siblings embarked on separate projects, forming Waxahatchee (Katie) and Swearin’ (Allison). This wonderful two-disc, 50-track set scoops up all of their output, adding an EP, low-fi demos and home recordings to the long-players. And what a glorious noise they made, blasting out heartfelt garage pop with an unfiltered openness that could be deeply stirring in its lack of artifice or posturing. Above all, P.S. Eliot had great material. Compare the scruffy demo of “Incoherent Love Songs” with the more-polished final version—either way, its clearly a smart, catchy gem that could have been a big hit in different circumstances. Mainstream acts in need of strong songs to cover today might want to investigate this treasure trove of stellar tunes.

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