Though the Eli Young Band has been together for over eight years, it wasn’t until their 2008 album Jet Black and Jealous that the band cracked country Top 40 charts. Achieving the feat twice with “When It Rains” and “Always the Love Songs,” the youthful (but veteran) country act has been praised countrywide, blending a Texas-country sound with a 2000s pop and rock.
Eli Young Band
The Eli Young Band features vocalist Mike Eli, guitar player James Young, bass player Jon Jones, and drummer Chris Thompson Their humble beginnings spring from a meeting between Young and Eli at the University of North Texas, where the established an acoustic duo.
After opening for Miranda Lambert and gaining exposure on country music radio and television stations, the Eli Young Band would not see a major release until 2008’s Jet Black and Jealous. This was their third studio album and released on Universal South.
Though their recorded output dated back to 2000 with Eli Young Band, 2005 with Level, and 2006 with their live album Live at the Jolly Fox, country music fans nationwide first took notice with the release of “When It Rains” in 2008.
Always the Love Songs
The Eli Young Band sound has been described as modern electric country. Far from the island sound of Kenny Chesney, or the banjo-heavy twang of Keith Urban, Eli Young employs an understated vocal atop musicians and lyricists who obviously take their craft seriously.
With most songs written by either Eli or Young, the 12-song Jet Black and Jealous allows for showcases of talent by all members of the Eli Young Band. Set to a soft-rock and Americana electricity, the music of the Eli Young Band highlights the lyrics and vocals behind and between a natural inclination for heavy bass lines, rhythmic drumming, and not-so-country lead guitaring.
Highways and Broken Hearts
Featuring a Willie Nelsonesque approach to songwriting, the band's lyrics detail the simple country aspects of life like highways and broken hearts. They Band often delve away from country topics, with many songs reading like the best of current pop, including much of Jet Black and Jealous.
As Jones observes on the band’s website: “That’s been a theme through a lot of our music. It might be raining today, but it might be sunny tomorrow, so that’s worth sticking around for.”
Besides previous standouts including “Girl In Red,” “Oklahoma Girl,” and “Small Town Kid,” Jet Black and Jealous features potential hits “Famous” and “Guinevere,” featuring the opening: “She’s got a bumper like a billboard / Covered in stickers of her favorite band.”
Jet Black and Jealous tracklisting
- When It Rains
- Always the Love Songs
- Radio Waves
- Enough is Enough
- Famous
- Throw and Go
- Guinevere
- Get in the Car and Drive
- Jet Black and Jealous
- Mystery in the Making
- How Should I Know
- Home
Matthew Fortuna - My Blog Matthew Fortuna is a freelance writer and journalist currently contributing to multiple on-line and print publications, as well ...
Join the Conversation