Elliott – Song In The Air
(Revelation)

It does sound like a stupid name for an album, but “Song In The Air” pretty accurately describes the music that can be found on Elliott’s 3rd full length album. There is a feeling of weightlessness one gets while listening to it as the swirling guitars and ethereal vocals float around you. Then again, after looking at the cover artwork there’s also a feeling that someone’s been smoking too much weed.

Just as False Cathedrals was mostly a disappointment to fans of their Quicksand-influenced melodic post-punk debut U.S. Songs, so too will this album be a let down to those who are hoping for a return to something a little more aggressive. But Elliott are clearly not a band willing to tie themselves down to one sound, they are constantly evolving (which sometimes can’t be helped when you’ve got a new bass player and guitarist recently brought to the line-up). Their evolution is not always for the better, but at least they’re stretching themselves beyond the norm, refusing to repeat the past. This time around, they chose to mellow out and — dare I say it — get a little psychadelic with their music, which makes for some beautiful songs as well as some forgettable ones.

Bleed In Breathe Out originally appeared on a compilation, and I had hoped it was an indication of the direction Elliott were headed: toned down and subtle, but still there was the distinctive voice of Chris Higdon and a hint of electronic elements mixed in. The LP version of the song is different unfortunately… it’s slower and has the electronic drums removed, and making the song sound completely ordinary and uninteresting.

Song In The Air continues with the use of piano and string arrangements that Elliott introduced on their last album, sometimes to the point where it almost relies completely on them. The album’s title track sounds exactly like something you’d hear on a Sigur Ros record, with lush strings and wistful piano, the only thing missing is the otherworldly vocals. It’s a good song, but it sounds so much like Sigur Ros that I can’t help but view it as a second rate knock-off. Other songs are more akin to OK Computer-era Radiohead, such as Beijing (Too Many People), while the final track Genoa is essentially abstract droning noise like something you’d hear on Radiohead’s Amnesiac.

The lead off track, Land and Water, is one of the finer moments the album has to offer. It starts off slow but builds to a chorus of spacey guitar effects and melody.

I think the best song on the album is the 6 minute instrumental song Drag Like Pull. Not only is it one of the most progressive and dynamic songs on the album, but I realize after hearing it that sometimes Higdon’s vocals get repetitive and irritating, and the breathing room created by the missing vocals make for an enjoyable change of pace.

While I can appreciate Elliott’s diversity and musicianship on this record, I still don’t think they’ve made a really inspiring work of art here. They’ve tried, and it still is a very listenable album, but it just doesn’t move me or excite me to the point where I care once it stops playing. I guess I’ll just have to be content to keep waiting to see what the next evolution brings… — Sean