Elf Power -‘Elf Power’ (Orange Twin)
Despite the name, this is not the Athens, Georgia band’s debut album. On the contrary, it is the group’s tenth album in their sixteen year career (not including self-released albums and collaborations). Athens is a town that has a reputation for having produced some of America’s finest acts over the last thirty or so years, and I definitely hear some of the same magic that I hear on early releases from REM and the Indigo Girls flowing through here.
Which is not to criticise the B-52s; rather that this is an album which is gently rocky, and folky, and having been playing this record a lot over the last few weeks, one of the finest this year. Highlights include the opening ‘The Taking Under’ and the heartbreaking ‘Stranger In The Window.’ In fact, if you have any passion for gentle ‘alt-rock’ that is never aggressive nor bland, and indeed at times almost pastoral, you should own this album.
The album is dedicated to the legendary Vic Chesnutt, who was both a collaborator and friend of the band, who died on Christmas Day last year. I believe he would have loved this album; I certainly do.
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Elf Power is out now on Orange Twin Records
Elf Power -‘Stranger In The Window.’ mp3
And just for fun – nothing to do with this album whatsoever – a cover version they did of a Jesus and Mary Chain song: