A Dream in Sound

Elf Power

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 11, 1999)
• Original Release Date: August 10, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arena Rock
• ASIN: B00000IMIL
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #101,594 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
Hailing from Athens, Georgia, and often discussed in the same breath as psychedelic upstarts Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel (since they all operate under the loose umbrella of the Elephant Six collective), Elf Power are an eccentric rock quartet that perform engaging, subtle music with a sonically subversive underbelly. On the band's third full-length release, songwriter Andrew Rieger shows a penchant for clever wordplay on tunes like "All the Passengers" and "O What a Beautiful Dream." Along with band members Bryan Helium, Aaron Wegelin, and Laura Carter, Rieger takes the listener on a quirky musical journey that is as surreal as it is smart with unconventional instrumentation and random noise filtering throughout. With cameos by Athens alt-rock royalty, this marks the dawning of a new psychedelic underground. --Mitch Meyers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of 1999, July 24, 2000

By	Adrian Bischoff (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

Before I make this claim, I should note that I don't buy a lot of new music and all of the new music I buy is indie. That said: this is the best album I have from 1999. I was on my Elephant 6 addiction (which I still am, partly) and I just put this and When the Red King Comes on my wish list. My parents seemingly randomly picked this one and it blew me away. It's not amazingly emotional or anything incredibly new in sound. They just write really good songs with lyrics that fit the songs well. It's pop, but not like anything you would hear on the radio, or much of anywhere (It could be argued that one would hear similar things from the Apples in stereo or OTC, but this is something different frome even that, I would say). They have a unique sound and what's amazing is that even when they cover a Nobles song, it sound like an Elf Power song. My personal favorite for the album is "Simon," which is just completed by the horn line by Scott Splain (sp?) of Neutral Milk Hotel. Buy it and enjoy!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Dream in Sound Saves, April 10, 2000

By	Karina Hof (Middlebury, Vermont) - See all my reviews

My friend introduced this album to me when, this past January, I claimed that I was having a musical crisis, completely parched by my current CD collection. So, just when I thought I was tired of indie rock, A Dream in Sound, albeit with its traditional fuzz feedback, strong drum beats and, yes, even three-chord foundations, was a refreshing glass of soda pop to mine ears. The lyrics are catchy: "Jane went to sleep. She was weary, she was weak." They are silly: "You're the bird with the candybar head/The other birds never let you fly." But they are sung with such a simultaneous confidence and softness that bring comfort to the injured listener struggling with the conventions of daily life. This is not to say that Elf Power makes their main objective Amy Grant-esque inspiration or anything. They just let themselves dream the possibility of beauty and healing while maintaining a true rockability in sound.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great music, September 7, 1999

By A Customer

This album is produced in a much cleaner more conventional way then "when the red king comes." It really works though and the songs are so well written that they thrive under the microscope as we can hear most every wonderful lyric. Both albums so superb in different ways... There is a definite glow to this album. I just saw these guys at the 40watt here in Athens and it was one of the best shows i've ever seen. The band is super nice and friendly... and their music is very one-of-a-kind and beautiful. So, go out and buy all the albums and see them when they come around your area. I really like the song "jane" on this album.