The third release from the Brit band Elbow reveals a well developed mellow rock / electronic amalgamation. Their hipster-ish sound combines exceptional melodies with charming neuvo Brit-rock vocals. The band’s musical formulae here have drawn comparisons to Coldplay and Radiohead, a line that is clear from the beginning of the record. The vocal track is incredibly reminiscent of Peter Gabriel’s voice at its best, adding a layer that is not always as easily obtained in the genre as some may like to think.
The disc starts off with “Station Approach,” a track that epitomizes the record’s flow as a whole. With its mellow sound and raw, throaty vocals, the track’s constant crescendo-ing sounds makes it feel like just a momentary introduction, when in actuality it is a full length track. This subtlety of the enjoyment within these tracks contributes to the organic, unpretentious feel of the disc.
The second and third tracks pick up the tempo, albeit less stunningly than most of the rest of the tracks. “Picky Bugger” followed by “Forget Myself” are standard issue tracks that are somewhat less memorable than the remainder. Followed by the guitar heavy “The Stops,” which gives a rough sample of the “haunting” sounds Elbow has created on its previous discs, and allows lead singer Guy Garvey to carry a track’s worthiness in his voice.
The title track elevates the disc with its foot tapping melodies and political lyrics to empower the masses (“I need to see the commander in chief… the leaders of the free world / are just little boys throwing stones”). Following this catchy tune, the tempo slows back down slightly with “An Imagined Affair,” a romantic tribute to a love affair that is filled with a few more musical layers than most of the tracks thus far.
“Mexican Standoff” brings the final chapter of the disc back to the energetic tone it strives for, which is quickly subdued by the piano heavy, almost-ballad “The Everthere.” The final two tracks and the shorter, closing track “Puncture Repair” remove the energy out of the tracks, finally closing on a more upbeat, yet mellow chord.
While some of the tracks evoke more boredom than revolution, the fine craftsmanship of the music lends itself to an easy listen that overcomes the slow progression of the disc. The band focuses less on their similarity to Radiohead as the disc progresses, possibly an intentional move, which sadly results in the band not taking full advantage of Garvey’s enchanting voice. Nonetheless, the British mellow rock / electronic / folk sound combined with the vocal talents of the band creates a disc that slowly becomes more and more appealing with each new listen. |