According to Funk & Wagnall’s Multimedia Encyclopedia, the letter E is the “most frequently used letter of the English alphabet.” However, The Letter E (the band) should not be considered as commonplace. This delicately elaborate instrumental music occurs much less regularly than the actual letter E does, bobbing in and out of sentences.
Started as a collaborative project with members from bands like June of 44 and the infamous Blue Man Group, The Letter E weave intricate, melodic post-rock structures. What sets this purely instrumental seven-song CD apart from the rest of the jammer crowd, is the mood. The Letter E devise hopeful, brightly colored themes, hardly reaching a downcast tone. It’s perfectly listenable, intriguing and engaging, and not at all catchy.
Guitars and drums create lazy aural landscapes, with that happy-go-lucky indie rock feel all the way home. Hard edge cello and trumpet, used sparingly, increase the volume and mood dramatically in the last minute of “Isabella.”
The letter E may be one of our most recognizable symbols, but the music of The Letter E, with its obtuse, yet inviting nature, may have a bit of a tougher time acquiring such a reputation. But there’s hope. With such a substantial beginning, The Letter E have a great chance at achieving a greater success.
This is thinking music. It’s music that sinks deep into the dark areas of your brain, only to resurface a few tracks later without you noticing that time has passed and that the CD is almost over. Sort of like a time warp induced by the music. Hmmm…a time warp caused by sound. Could there be such a thing? Maybe you should go look that up in your Funk & Wagnall.