Customer Reviews

Winter Is Coming

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Elf Power's fourth full length CD, The Winter Is Coming, is the cleanest distillation so far of their melodic psychedelica. Taking their cue from both the gentler and dronier aspects of The Velvet Underground, co-founders Andrew Rieger and Laura Carter steer their artsy collective towards a fascinating middleground. The John Cale influenced "Wings of Light" could be a prime Velvet Underground and Nico outtake. "The Sun Is Forever" unfolds as a folksy nugget. For the most part these songs are idylls, free of either angst or subtext. The titles tell you more than the songs - "Embrace the Crimson Tide", "Green Sea Days", "Birds in the Backyard". The titles are, in fact, all the songs are about whereas with the VU a title like "Heroin" was just a beginning. If you're willing to let Elf Power's neo-psychedlica wash over you, though, they occasionally provide a compelling trip.

May I ask you what you are doing not buying this album? In my opinion, this rivals Red King as Elf Power's greatest album to date. At times it echoes back to the distorted rock of Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs, but this CD is infinately superior. Every song is great. My favorites are The Sun is Forever, People Underneath, and Birds in the Backyard. The Albatross is a really cool foray into industrial rock (believe it), although it does run a bit long. Anyway, these guys are still going strong, and any fans should not hesitate to buy this as soon as possible.

The last Elf Power album was candy for the ears... it was fun, lighthearted, and clever, exactly what you would expect from a band with such a silly name (I'm sorry, but it really is silly). Don't get me wrong, I really liked it... but the Elf Power on this CD seems to have matured quite a bit in the past year, with heavier, fuzzier guitars, simpler production, and more somber, thoughtful vocals. They've developed as songwriters and have come up with an excellent album, an album that will be spending a lot of time in my CD player for the next few months. The only track that didn't agree with me on the first listen is "Wings of Light" which sounds like George Harrison and Lou Reed in a head-on automobile accident... which for some people might be a good thing. A friend of mine called this "the best Elephant 6 album since In The Aeroplane Over The Sea"... and I think I might just agree with him.