Earlimart
[#] Mentor Tormentor (2007)
Childhood drags on a bit too, I guess.
Reviewed July 20, 2026
Having tackled grieving through music on Treble and Tremble, Earlimart's Aaron Espinoza sets his sights on writing a indie rock odyssey about religion and upbringing on Mentor Tormentor. It's definitely growth for the band—longtime partner-in-crime Ariana Murray even gets her first-ever lead vocal on the excellently moody "Happy Alone"—though not without its growing pains. Mentor Tormentor is a longer record than most in the Earlimart catalog, and it certainly could've used another editing pass towards the end. When they're on though, they've got a way around their sweet, gentle, slightly unpredictable acoustic rock that blooms in your speakers in a big way.
Sonically, this is the tidiest Earlimart have sounded yet. Much of the album is given to driving semi-acoustic guitars, pianos, and synth orchestras that swell a la single "Answers and Questions". "Nevermind the Phonecalls" is all crunchy drum machines and beckoning sighs, while "Everybody Knows Everybody" meshes the melodic ends of their sound with the fuzz and screams of Kingdom of Champions. Earlimart expertly pace the rockers for about two-thirds of the album with slow, sad, and occasionally eerie piano pieces like the aching "Don't Think About Me" or the disturbed "The World". Things meander past that point, sadly, though trim off some of your least favorites and it's still pretty much a qualified success.
| Essential: | "Nevermind the Phonecalls", "Happy Alone", "The World" |
|---|---|
| Quintessential: | "Bloody Nose" |
| Non-Essential: | "Just Because" |
| Rating: |  |