Elf Power's self-titled tenth album is dedicated to their friend and occasional collaborator
Vic Chesnutt, and while it's hard to say how much the passing of
Chesnutt influenced this music,
Elf Power is a more subdued and contemplative work than the last several albums that preceded it. The songs are intelligently crafted but clean of line, with the folkier and more organic approach of albums like
Walking with the Beggar Boys and
Back to the Web carrying through to these sessions. There's also a psychedelic undercurrent to the melodies and arrangements that provides a clear link to
Elf Power's formative recordings, but the music is decidedly tidier and more straightforward than they were in the days when they worshiped at the altar of lo-fi, and the album's overall impact is gentler, cooler, and more subdued.
Elf Power hardly sounds mournful, but "Little Hand," "The Taking Under," and "Spidereggs" reflect a mature and thoughtful outlook, and even the most upbeat numbers are the work of a group who've are clearly willing to embrace a deeper and more resonant sound than they did in their past.
Elf Power also finds the band returning to their own Orange Twin Records imprint after a spell on Rykodisc, and while they sounded thoroughly uncompromised during their tenure on the semi-major label, the mood of these songs is both casual and emotionally open, with a sense of freedom in this music that's quietly liberating even when dark clouds appear on the horizon.
Elf Power often sounds simple on the surface, but there's a remarkable depth to this work that confirms these indie pop veterans still have a lot on their minds, and no trouble finding eloquent ways of expressing themselves. ~ Mark Deming