Consumer Guide Review
by Robert Christgau
The Reputation (Initial Records)
First Elizabeth Elmore left a great band to go to law school. Now she leaves a great law school to start a better band, bringing a dark, intense fury to Sarge’s runaway jangle. You’d think she’d be proud of herself, and from the way she talks you can tell she is. But is she happy about her accomplishments? Au contraire. Friends and lovers fall away on all sides, so that she would leave this town tonight if she could think where to go - not law school, damn it. One begins to wonder whether beneath her reasonable exterior lurk impossible demands. After all, when guys spend albums complaining about how nobody’s good enough for them we figure they’re trying to kid somebody. She goes out covering Elvis Costello, who is not my choice to replace Ann Landers. A MINUS.
Voice Choices - critics pick
The Reputation + Denali
Elizabeth Elmore’s (ex-Sarge) new band has a shimmering early 90s indie-rock glimmer reminiscent of Swervedriver and Sugar; nice sugary hooks, crunchy, rockin’ guitars; and sassy boy-done-me-wrong again vocals. Denali are emo-weaned kids doing atmospheric, dark, and brooding Portishead-inspired songs with a bent towards the epic.