There is good news and bad news about the new Efterklang album. The bad news is they abandon their orchestral-based, experimental sound for a more accesible one. The good news is the same. Efterklang now sound similar to a Scandinavian version of Bon Iver if Bon Iver had a larger band. A couple songs even resemble Iver's Blood Bank, with a strong mix of guitar accompanied by steady piano, a string that plays both backdrop and headliner throughout the album. Magic Chairs dazzles with song after song full of distinct melodies and hooks. Opener and single-worthy "Modern Drift" is a piano-driven, sweeping song exhibiting the purity of nature. Follow-up "Alike" is more introspective and has that kind of haunting quality that we've come to expect from 4AD signees. The only problem with the song is the falsetto reminiscent of Coldplay. The looser "I Was Playing Drums" comes next and seals the three tracks as the most solid sequence on the album.
One of the biggest differences separating Magic Chairs from its predecessors is the larger presence of Casper Clausen's vocals. And his voice is so sublime that you wonder if past orchestrations would have been even better with his vocals. Whereas past albums shared a more Sigur Ros genre, Magic Chairs unravels other influences, which make the album more diverse, even with their newfound pace. There seems to be a Sufjan Stevens influence in "Scandinavian Love," both melodically and structurally. Clausen has a backup posse of his own, who accompany many of the songs. The flute pretty much stamps on the Sufjan label. Even though the new sound may make it easier to compare them to other acts, Efterklang defitinitely still maintain their own identity, especially with the creativity they are able to explore using an array of instruments.
As Clausen sings the lyrics, "This world is for the best," on "Mirror Mirror," you can tell the album is close to its finale. Though there are backup singers, it sounds as if he is singing acutely to himself, resigning himself to whatever fate lies ahead. That fate is uncertain. For all the beauty of Magic Chairs, you have to wonder if the more suspended sound on past albums mixed with these melodies and Clausen's stronger voice would have dealt a masterpiece. Having said that, Magic Chairs is a beautiful album, as it shows Efterklang's unlimited promise and hints that their best is yet to come. |