The Slip is a trio of Brad Barr on Guitar and most vocals, his bro Andrew on drums, and Marc Friedman on bass.. they all met in Boston around the Berkeley music scene, coming to notoriety with a jazzy-jammy-scofield-esque sound that has since broadened into more of a song-based repetoire with poignant vocals and creative rhythms and melodies. my first live experience with them was back in 98′ at Lucy’s on 6th st. - their first time to austin and it was an epic barnburner of a show to a packed crowd.. they did well to prove themselves to the ATX early on and it has allowed them to come back here and play to good size crowds over the years..

Eisenhower is their first real studio effort since 2002’s “Angels Come on Time,” an album that received plenty of acclaim. I personally loved it for its songs.. they have a knack for catchy and quirky tunes that stick with you in a personal way.. though Barr’s voice isnt always accessible, it definitely grows on you after a few listens..when start to digest his great melodic ideas..

Listen…to ‘The Soft Machine’

where the previous album’s shortcomings may have been a certain lack of continuity and consistency, “Eisenhower” definitely overcomes that issue, striking the listener as a full experience from front to back.. they got a badass producer by the name of Matthew Ellard (elliot smith, billy bragg, wilco, morphine..) to produce this time around and it shows.. the sound quality and textures are very nice.. and it definitely has a small amount of the Wilco vibe to it… especially the track “Mouthwing Bite”, other songs like ‘the Soft Machine’ have a nice vintage vibe, reminding me of something George Harrison might have done..I like that every track has a clear sense of emotion conveyed in the music.. the vocals are the best theyve had on an album yet.. I am guessing that Matt Ellard helped Brad focus on staying in his most effective vocal range.
alot of the tunes on the album have been road-tested for years. the opening track ‘Children of December’ is consise and powerful and having heard it live a few times, I could tell that they did a good job distilling it down to its most important essences and delivering the most true to the song version possible. ‘Even Rats’ is another one that fits this distinction.. well played and full of interesting texture and melody. The band are all pretty much virtuosos on their instruments.. they can play anything and I think its cool that they have shifted their focus away from soloing and more towards evocative playing that supports the songs..
Ive listened thru the album twice now and I can tell its definitely (as most great albums are) one of those that get better the more you hear it. I am pleased with the production quality of the tunes.. the sound is warm, organic, and clear as a bell.. the drum tones are especially nice..

I’ve been following the slip for a while.. and i’ve patiently tagged along on their musical journey thru Jazz/funk beginnings to world beat to pop to indie rock and most points in between. They’ve not always been consistently badass, but they have been steady source of inspiration for their willingness to reinvent themselves and break new ground.. they are true artists, not afraid to express themselves in original and ambitious ways., requiring the listener to give the same kind of effort back when they listen to truly enjoy and experience their music. if you’re new to the Slip, I urge you to give these guys a try.. buy this new album and give it a few focused listens..theres plenty of live stuff online if you want to explore from there, but this album is a great introduction that i’m sure will get them some new devotees..
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