Review: “Hymn and Her,” Earlimart

About a month ago, I did a post about finding great new music on TV. Well, last week I hit the jackpot again on “ER.” At the end of the episode, a catchy, soulful song was playing over an emotional scene where Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle) was contemplating his fate on a cold Chicago day. After some serious digging (it would be nice if the names of the songs were included on the credits at the end of the show, but I digress) I found out that the tune, with a great melody and a piano part you can get lost in, was “Town Where You Belong” by Earlimart. After downloading the band’s disc, Hymn and Her, I can honestly say it’s the best $9.99 I’ve spent in a long time.

Current members Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray make up Earlimart, an indie group named after their hometown of Earlimart, CA. They have crafted a collection tunes that reminds one of everything from early R.E.M. to Cowboy Junkies to Dream Academy with stellar harmonies, perfect instrumentation, soulful lyrics and a spiritual, peaceful vibe.

Espinoza vocals standout on the excellent “Face Down in the Right Town” and aforementioned “Town Where You Belong” and Murray’s sweet vocals shine on “Before It Gets Better” and the haunting “Tell Me.” They channel John Lennon on the Beatle-esque “God Loves You the Best” and Ryan Adams on the eerie “Great Heron Gates” and tell a haunting tale on the moody “Hymn and Her.” Honestly, there isn’t a bad track among the 12.

Once again, I want to thank the producers of “ER.” Without your knowledge of good indie music and your willingness to feature it on your show, I probably never would have heard of Earlimart…and that would have been a shame.

Earlimart Official MySpace page (you can stream the entire Hymn and Her album)