Full Review: Trevor Hall - The Elephants Door

Posted on April 30th, 2008 by Tyler, under Full Reviews.

Trevor Hall may be an unfamiliar name for you now but the very strong and solid album, ‘The Elephants Door’ should change that. Hall may be only in his early 20’s but he has a voice and presence as if he’s been putting out records for decades.

‘The Elephants Door’ posses a style that could be compared to Matisyahu, Alexi Murduch, or Mat Kearney just to name a few. The acoustic and often reggae flavored songs are done in such a way that won’t scare away people that aren’t fans of the mentioned genres but rather may act as a gateway for someone.

The opening track is decent although not at the same level as some that follow it. The guitar is purposely not as thick and rich and the song seems to be on its own path, hard to follow. Track two, “31 Flavors” is the start of the albums best, and highlights the signature sound that Hall produces. “Ghosts” continues the splendid song writing and engaging melodies.

“The Lime Tree” emerges delicately from light picking and raspy vocals but by songs end has blossomed into a message of passion. Hall echoes himself on the chorus which adds to the songs charm. The little touches and style quarks are the things that set this record apart.

The lyrics and themes explored on the record are ones dealing with hope, love, and seeking to set forth a positive message. Most songs have a followable story or message but occasionally Hall is all over the map with his lyrics like on the almost hooky “A Sunny Sky”. The song is about waiting for a brighter day to come but is often side tracked with lines like “This song is not a joke, well i do not smoke, I may have tried a couple of times but I always choked”.

“When The Sun And Moon Collide”, “A Sunny Sky”, and “Just In Time” are by no means “bad songs” but lack huge hooks or that special something to keep you coming back, especially compared to the rest of the songs on the record.

Although the overall album has a slower pace and relaxed feel there is still an electrifying energy that flows throughout, transferring over to the listener. ‘The Elephants Door’ is truly a great record that you should definitely check out.