Electrelane - To the East (Too Pure)
3/5
By: Chris O'Toole
2005's 'Axes' was at once a departure and a return for Electrelane. The band rediscovered their 'Rock it to the Moon' ambient instrumental roots but amplified and restructured them to create a dark, textured environment, but one that was ultimately accessible and enjoyable. The album was largely instrumental and gave scope for the band to produce lavish layers of Krautrock influenced propulsion, adored with sweet, but not saccharin, vocals from Verity Susman. On tracks like 'Two for Joy' and 'The Bells', Electrelane produced joyous pop melodies and placed them in a slightly twisted context.
'To the East' is a continuation of this trend, placing a delicate piano lead melody over a robust drum pattern and rumbling bass line to again create the juxtaposition of darkness and light. Taken from their forthcoming album 'No Shouts, No Calls' the track utilises swirling guitar surfaces and ethereal, virtually nonsensical vocals to create a continuous matchbox sized explosion, teetering on the edge of full release for its five minute duration without ever fully stretching out to run.
Whilst enjoyable, 'To the East' seems very much to be a snippet from an album, and should perhaps be heard in context with the fuller work. For all its élan and grace, it does not stand alone particularly well and could easily be lost in the tumult, but overall it is an intriguing listen and worth the patience it requires.
Artists in this article: Electrelane
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