Serendipity Media

Aided this time around by more varied instrumentation and production by film composer and former Oingo Boingo member Richard Gibbs, Eisley's second album is a bit of a mixed bag. A few songs steer them in a more rock-oriented direction, amping up the guitars for a level of intensity not present on past releases. As exciting as it is to hear Eisley expand beyond the quiet whimsy that is perhaps unfairly expected of them, the album is delicately dominated by gentle ballads sprinkled with music box melodies and whispered interpretations. The main thing working against Combinations is found within those hushed tracks, as a few of the songs lumped in the middle of the tracklisting have choruses that insist upon hammering out the same line repeatedly. "I Could Be There for You" is a lovely number and one of the album's highlights, but is dragged down by its lazy chorus. Even more uninspiring are the repetitious refrains found in "Go Away" and "Come Clean." They never fail to be pretty, but aren't entirely interesting either. For a band capable of some wonderful compositions, it's disappointing to hear Eisley treating any part of their songs as afterthoughts. Yet, while some songs don't stick, Combinations is home to some of Eisley's best moments to date. "Ten Cent Blues," now one of the strongest songs in the Eisley canon, provides the album's most intriguing lyrics while the musically aggressive "A Sight to Behold" and the sweet title cut conclude the album with style. And though much of the band's earlier obsession with the fantastical has been pushed aside in favor of more standard relationship-centered creations, there's still room for the seabound dirge "Many Funerals" and the Body Snatchers-inspired "Invasion." Here's hoping Eisley's next album continues to put the band's improving musicianship to such good use, and also displays consistent lyricism that endures all the way through.