LP Review: Song In The Air by Elliott
November 1, 2011 Leave a comment
Elliott
Song In The Air
Revelation; 2003
My Rating: A- (83/100)
Best Tracks: "Land And Water", "Carry On", "Believe", "Drag Like Pull", "Song in the Air", "Away We Drift"
Next step: evaporate.
TRACK NOTES
"Land And Water" (4.5/5)
- Very cool sound.
- Still can’t understand a thing of what he’s saying. That’s his bag though.
- Great guitar work by Benny Clark.
- Production sounds PERFECT this time around. Not too hot, not too cold. Just right.
"Carry On" (4.5/5)
- Pretty melody.
- Again, nice guitar effects by Benny Clark.
- Another somewhat Coldplay-ish tune.
- Well written song. Great arc.
"Believe" (5/5)
- Here’s an excellent example of the band just sounding more graceful than on False Cathedrals.
- This is a gorgeous track.
- The string work is perfect.
"Beijing (Too Many People)" (4/5)
- You know, this reminds me of The Shipping News’ second album (Very Soon…).
- Pleasant, but maybe a bit too long?
"Drag Like Pull" (4.5/5)
- Excellent instrumental.
- Tight as a snare drum.
- Bet this one was awesome live.
"Bleed In Breathe Out" (4/5)
- A bit faceless (?).
- Still, I like it.
- Especially dig the part towards the end where Ratterman starts in with a more martial pattern.
"Song In The Air" (4.5/5)
- Strings, piano, and Higdon’s voice. Just great.
- A perfect interlude. This really grounds the album. Makes it feel complete.
"Away We Drift" (5/5)
- Another excellent rocker. This is the band firing on all cylinders.
"Blue Storm" (3.5/5)
- Not much here. It strikes of filler.
"Genea" (4/5)
- If that’s not Eno-esque, I don’t know what is.
- Very cool.
ALBUM NOTES
- False Cathedrals gets the props, but for my money, Song In The Air is superior. The album nails it in terms of cohesion and concept.
- Eno might call this “Music for Airlines.”
- It’s a shame the band decided to call it quits after this, as it is their strongest effort artistically (though I’ll always have a big place in my heart for US Songs). In all reality though, I don’t know what they would have done after this. Get MORE atmospheric perhaps?
- Few bands have so dramatically transformed in the space of five years. Remember when these guys were writing power pop?
ATTRIBUTES
Cohesion (5/5)
Concept (5/5)
Consequence (4.5/5)
Consistency (4.5/5)
Songs (4.35/5)