Elliott Brood Ambassador Release Date : October 4, 2005. Label: Six Shooter Records. Rating: Andy doesn't dig rating stuff. Man I love interesting packaging. Great first impression by way of woodgrain, foldouts, fun creative liner notes... super cool. Instantly, musicwise, this sounds dismal and dark, appropriately enough like a lonesome cross-country train trip in the early part of the 1900's. The rich music is soft, longing, heartbreaking. A slow waltz at midnight when most of the bar's closed down. A gunfight in the streets. A loping horse, A rifle leaning against the banister of a weathered porch. Dirty hands, face-washing in the river. A pot of coffee over a fire pit. Rattlesnakes and millions of stars. Alone, alone alone. Rusty whisky-filled danger. Echoing in background of "President (35)" are clap-along sounds that seem hollow and live, like they actually recorded this in a saloon. It's tainted with big slidey evil-sounding guitars. This is real cowboy music. Ooh nice subtle clinking of bottles at the end there... again as though we are actually just sitting in a saloon. Shoot this is so organic. Somewhere down the middle between 16 Horsepower and Danny Michel. The raspy voice of Casey Laforet reminds me of Wil a bit, and slightly of Ben Ottewell, the singer from Gomez. Whispery, doom... 'brood' is soooo appropriate. It kinda makes me wanna go learn the banjo. Rod Stewart does country? Cerys Mathews' male alter-ego?   Song of choice : "Johnnie Rooke" is great, wonderful harmonies, lots of power.     -Andy Scheffler Elsewhere Elliott Brood website Published : November, 2005.