Ilya - Poise Is the Greater Architect (10 tracks) +Album Reviews

Fantastic!

Boden Larson | Bozeman, MT United States | 06/20/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It seems like it should be so easy to describe the music of Ilya - as if some overused genre buzzword should just roll right off the tongue. But are they rock? Triphop? Ambient? Well, yes to all and none of the above. Ilya is one of those rare bands with a unique style that sounds as though it's always been with us. Its progressions are firmly rooted in rock, its natural beats flirt with triphop, and its ambient guitar and keyboard work sets a captivating mood. Then, without pretention, Ilya lyrics speak easily like the blues, and are delivered with heartbreaking conviction by singer Blanca Rojas. I find it difficult to imagine anyone who would not be moved by such powerful work.Poise is the Greater Architect, Ilya's first full-length, independently produced release strongly demonstrates the band's artful ability. The group molds eerie guitars, dark pianos, gritty synths, melodic bass, and driving drums around hauntingly beautiful female vocals. Heavier songs like Isola and Blatchford provide just enough juice to keep our strength up through devastatingly depressing tracks such as BPD and Guilty Kisses. The album's highlight must be "I want to know", a simple waltzing duet that is so exposed and vulnerable that it creates an excrutiating tension from which we are satisfyingly rescued by the interruption of bowed electric guitar and a small string ensemble. The only weak spot on the record is perhaps Lady Folly, a predictable and generic song during which I always find myself reaching for the skip button. Still, the album is listenable from start to finish - a dark journey through personal tragedy with brilliant moments of joyful release.A lot of the same band names always seem to be dropped whenever someone is talking about Ilya. If you take Portishead, Bjork, Radiohead and Led Zepplin (yep, you heard me right) and smash them all together real good, then filter out all the excess frill to the bare minimum, you might come up with something similar to Ilya. They've tapped a vein that's been there all along but was perhaps too obvious to see - a simple root that their influences have never fully explored. Ilya is one of those treasures you almost wish you could keep all to yourself, but this band is going to be huge.I was able to score a copy of this album months ago (prior to the new label release), and it's been in steady rotation in my CD player ever since. Everyone I've played this album for has loved it. It does not disappoint."

Ilya confusion

lindsay | Canada | 07/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"poise is the greater architect is a beautiful album, but why can you buy it online with "they died for beauty" which is by a completely different band with the same name?
oh well, this album is incredible, so i guess if people are seeking out the other ilya because their song is in a revlon commercial, maybe they'll find this ilya in the process, and they will be all the better for it. such a good album."

Perfection

Keith Shelton | Commerce, MI | 12/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was thrown back with the talent Ilya has, the very first time I put this disc in, it gripped me right from the start and I never lost intrest. This album pretty much picks up where Sneaker Pimps left off on "Becoming X" only its more than that. Ilya adds elements of jazz, lo-fi rock, and trip hop to thier sound. What sets this album apart from most trip hop has to be the piano sections. It's very prominent in all their tracks and in combination with the synths and beats, it sounds like something out of a dream. On vocals there's the super talented Blanca Rojas which has one of the coolest, smoothest voices I've ever heard. At least the best voice I've heard since Kelli Ali or Kristy Hawkshaw. The highlight of the album has got to be "Rana" its breakbeat bridge combined with the synth effects and piano has got to be one of the coolest things I've ever heard. I'm also loving "Blatchford", "Isola" and "I Want to Know" which is a beautiful duet in minor key. Any fan of Sneaker Pimps, Bjork, Hooverphonic, etc... will LOVE this album and even if your not a huge trip hop fan, check this album out!"

A true work of art

Kendall Bell | Willingboro, NJ USA | 07/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With their 2003 debut, Ilya has created an album that is so artfully done that it sucks you in and never releases you. In fact, it FEELS like art. The electronic flourishes and quick percussion in the opening track, "Isola", get things moving. But, it's the more unique songs like "I Want To Know", a duet in minor key and "Blatchford", whose one verse is repeated through the song like a mantra, that linger in your head for days. However, when Ilya does rock out a bit, as in "Disturbed" (mostly near the end of the song), it's more than just noise. It's a blend of musical structures that some can only dream of creating. There are no weak tracks here, only songs that build and build to a quiet, gentle resting place. This album is a masterpiece."

Windy dreampop

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 10/29/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ilya makes a haunting debut, mingling jazz, classical and airy trip-hop in "Poise is the Greater Architect." This San Diego band has the misfortune to have the same name as British sleeper hit Ilya (called "San Ilya" in the US), but their own arty trip-hop is a worthy listen.

"Isola" starts off strong with a windy background and subtle percussion, before shifting into the bluesy "Rana" and "BPD." Then the tone shifts into lamenting, haunting ballads such as the neo-classical "Lady Folly," only broken by the more poppish "Blatchford." Finally it winds down to the ethereal trip-hop lament of "Guilty Kisses."

Mixing classical and trip-hop with jazz and ambient sounds like a potential disaster. But Ilya do a good job in their debut -- the only problem is that some of the songs sound a little too similar, structurally speaking. But they have good flow and a soothing, haunting sound that will linger on even when the album is over. It's pretty music, in the tradition of Portishead.

Piano, keyboard and percussion are the musical core of this album, although they rarely pick up the tempo. Hank Morton and Matthew Baker provide smooth guitar and airy keyboard, backed up by beats by bassist John Mattos and drummer Geoff Hill. But despite the mundane array of instruments, the result is enchanting: a blend of classical beauty and trippy-trancey airiness.

Blanca Rojas has an undeniably beautiful voice, clear and ethereal. A bit of Beth Gibbons, a bit of Emiliana Torrini, a bit of Hope Sandoval. At times her male bandmates offer supporting vocals; in "I Want To Know," her vocals are completely interwoven with theirs. But in songs like "Lady Folly," her sweet vocals stand out on their own.

Take a mix of jazz/trip-hop/classical and add some torchy vocals, and you have Ilya's "Poise is the Greater Architect." An entrancing listen, and not one to be missed."

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