"Be Here Now"
By Dusty Ray

"The Symbols’ newest release, Be Here Now, is a soft musical stroll traversing through country, lounge, blues, reggae and funk-fusion. A guitar-driven album with vocals that fall somewhere between Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell, Be Here Now is a dense and dance-worthy cut that does quite a bit in its short presentation.

"The Symbols have an unerring catchiness about them, dancing the fine line between pop and underground with rump-shaking simplicity and an enthusiastic ear for different styles. “Good For Me” opens up the cut and immediately presents the talent of Symbols guitarist, Jasco, and singer, Mer Sal. Jasco’s melodies interweave with Mer Sal’s vocals, creating an interesting, jazzy harmony.

"“Be Here Now” slows down the mood, combining folk with strange mixing effects and Stevie Ray Vaughan-esque guitar solos that roll over into the Bossa Nova-like track, “Soon.”

"“Two Shades of Blue” brings yet another genre to the table with its reggae-revival bounciness. This track displays hilarious lyrics, and is themed around finding love based on favorite ice-cream flavors. The Symbols close out Be Here Now with a peculiar funkiness: “It” is the strongest track on the album, and is a fitting close to a varied EP.

"Technique is important to The Symbols; they can change their sound in the blink of an eye. Though the vocal delivery can be shaky at points, and there are other spots of compositional uncertainty, Be Here Now is a great representation of The Symbols’ sound. For all of its brevity and quirks, this album is definitely still worth a listen."

-Dusy Ray, Scene Magazine
http://www.scenemagazine.info/2011/11/30/the-symbols-%E2%80%93-be-here-now/

The Symbols- The Symbols EP   
    The Symbols’ new self-titled EP is a pretty decent slab of indie pop music. There’s an effortlessness and confidence to the material, and rarely a moment that sounds unnatural or forced. The band has a sophisticated-yet-whimsical sound, and it suits them: At no point does the EP feel bogged down by self-awareness or the obligation to be serious. The end product goes down easy without feeling trite.
     The opener “Kristin” would be a prime example. The song is a breezy-sounding lamentation of unrequited love, with some tasteful keys from vocalist/singer Mer Sal. “The Way I Feel” moves into moodier, blues-like territory and is equally good.
     Sal may not have a classical singing voice, but she uses it to great effect and has personality to spare. Her vocal delivery has an obvious verve, a talent for ad-libbing and a tendency to extend and enunciate words to their fullest effect. These are all good things, which becomes clear on the surprisingly funky “Shake It.” With only a few repeated lines she is able to take a rather sparse track and breathe a lot of life into it.
      The best is saved for last, and “Ephemeral” is a beautiful, restrained closer with more quality keyboard work from Sal and a nice solo from guitarist Jasco. It’s lush and organic, and really fleshes out an impressively diverse EP.
      The Symbols EP is really solid stuff, and its warm, summery vibes make it a rather timely release. There’s a lot to enjoy here, despite it only clocking in at under 20 minutes.
-Conor Hooley, Scene Magazine
<http://www.scenemagazine.info/2011/03/28/the-symbols-%E2%80%93-the-symbols-ep/>