Alan Sculley

After two EPs and two full-length CDs, one thing that's become apparent with the pop group Eisley is that people have a hard time trying to decide where the band fits in the musical landscape.

That comparison caught singer Sherri DuPree off guard.

"The funny thing is we kept hearing that after this album came out," she said in a recent phone interview. "We had actually never even had Fleetwood Mac albums, sadly. So after 'Combinations' was actually written we started getting into Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks and stuff like that. We love the stuff now, but it was definitely not an influence on our writing because we had not even heard it before. I think it's so funny when people say that. But we get that a lot."

DuPree doesn't seem the least bit upset about those sort of comparisons. She understands what others are going through.

"We've always had trouble explaining where our band fits musically or what category and that kind of thing," she said. "Like, I don't necessarily think it's because we're so different or whatever. I don't know. It's partly the fact that it's three girls."

The three girls in question are sisters Sherri, keyboardist/singer Stacy and guitarist Chauntelle. Along with brother (and drummer) Weston DuPree and cousin (and bassist) Garron DuPree, they form what is one of the rare true family bands in rock music.

Together Sherri and Stacy create some delectable vocal harmonies -- perhaps the reason for the Fleetwood Mac comparisons -- but the band's pop sound is frequently brisker than the mighty Mac, yet also more delicate than much of the modern rock currently filling radio playlists.

However one describes Eisley's music, "Combinations" represents significant musical growth for the group -- which is appearing in concert tonight at the Avalon Theater in Salt Lake City.

The group's full-length debut, the 2005 release "Room Noises," received mixed reviews. One reason was the songs, written mostly by Sherri and Stacy, were sometimes viewed with more than a hint of derision for their fanciful, fairy tale-like lyrical quality and for the romantic innocence that figured into some of the songs.

Stacy said Eisley has some surprises in store for its audiences. "We're doing most of the tracks off of 'Combinations,' of course, but I think honestly we're going to do whatever we want," she said. "I think we may do some older songs, some songs our fans have been requesting ... I don't know, just really create where we are right now as a band, who we have been and where we're going, and just kind of complete it all. Hopefully it can please our fans and please ourselves and everything like that."

The youthful feel of "Room Noises," though, was understandable, considering how young the DuPree sisters were when many of the songs on that CD were written. Stacy, now 19, was just 10 years old when she wrote some of the material. Sherri was just 15.

What also made it possible to give a pass to the lyrical perspective of "Room Noises" was the DuPree sisters showed a notable gift for melody.

Songs such as "Memories" and "Brightly Wound" were imbued with especially striking and graceful vocal melodies.

"Combinations" retains the melodic charm of its predecessor while on a musical level growing more multi-dimensional (note the darker hues to the song "Many Funerals" and the folky pulse that leads into the ear-grabbing melody of "Taking Control").

The lyrical perspective, meanwhile, is more mature, and while there are certainly songs that offer elements of romantic bliss, there are songs where the feelings are decidedly more ambiguous and complex.

The romantic element that flavors "Combinations" was a natural dimension considering the changes that were happening at the time the CD was written.

Sherri was getting married to Chad Gilbert, guitarist in the band New Found Glory. Chauntelle, meanwhile, was engaged to singer Adam Lazarra of Taking Back Sunday.

But life has taken some sharp turns since then, with Chauntelle and Lazarra splitting up and Sherri and Gilbert ending their brief marriage.

"My husband decided he didn't want to be married anymore, so we split up. It's totally fine," Sherri said, indeed sounding as if she has moved on emotionally from the breakup. "It's actually really good. We're still friends. Things just went too fast.

"It's kind of like a crazy trip, but it's just life," she said. "I'm doing good and I feel I'm in the best place I've ever been in my life right now, so it was actually a blessing that it all happened."

The period of upheaval prompted Eisley, some five months ago, to put a stop to touring and take time off from promoting "Combinations" to deal with the personal issues.

But the group is now back in action, having just launched a 50-date headlining tour.