Elliot: Song in the Air

Well, let me just start out by saying that Elliot, in 2003, is better than they have ever been, period. Many people will say that they have become even wussier than before, and they have become Journey or something, but it’s just not true. It is a fact, however, that Song in the Air is not as aggressive of overtly mathematical as things done in their past; the amount of pure longing, sadness, and regret make up for the lost aggression, and I swear they’re a better band for it.

Don’t get me wrong, there are flashes of Elliot past on this record. One of my favorites would be “Drag Like Pull”, a laid back rocker with reverberated, swirly, Cure-esque guitars, which play above a Kid A-era Radiohead drumbeat. What would be considered the chorus of the song is an absolute explosion of guitars and crashing drums, sans vocals. The album’s opener, “Land and Water”, also is reminiscent of older Elliot stuff, and features a really enormous guitar riff, backed by some powerful stomper drumbeats. The wandering, clean guitar lines kind of sound like U2 or Kiss Me . . .-era the Cure. “Away We Drift” has a totally cock rock drumbeat, but its “oomph” is betrayed by the spooky and trippy guitars. This song features the album’s most “Elliot” chorus, and will make long time fans smile with glee.

To be honest, save for a few random moments, there’s not much more “rockin'” going on here. The overall tone of the majority of songs is extremely downtrodden and lost, which makes for a downer of a record. Too bad this didn’t come out in December, as this will make one heck of a record for those cold, grey winter afternoons.

“Believe” is a peppy little skipper of a song, reminding me of a slowed down version of Radiohead’s “Knives Out” at times. The guitars on this track, and many others, are drenched in various effects, such as reverb, chorus, flanger, and other little spacey noises. The resulting sound is akin to the aforementioned the Cure, early U2, and Radiohead guitars; while that might be a blanket statement, once you listen to this record, you’ll understand.

Another track of note is the tortured “Beijing”, which sounds like a lost Shudder to Think b-side, from the 50,000 B.C. days. The drums shuffle and putter along, as piano and reverberated guitars play a sad little tune. Lead singer Chris Hidgon does more moaning and whining than he does singing, both on this track, and throughout the entire record. I’ll tell you the truth, though, this guy makes a great tortured singer, kind of like a hipper and cooler Thom Yorke or Morrissey. I could do without the string section in the middle of “Beijing”, but it’s still a fantastic song.

The album’s title track is totally Radiohead, soft vocals over a bit of synthesizer strings; Higdon actually sounds like Thom Yorke on this one. It’s such a sad little tune that it sounds like something that would be played at a funeral, as friends and family of the deceased come into the church. Yikes!

All in all, I love the sad, depressing, and morose, so this one was a real treat. This is one of my top five favorite records of 2003, and I just can’t seem to get enough of it. It’s funny that I can enjoy it during this time of year, as I usually fancy the sad stuff more in the winter. I think the fact that this record is by a band as talented and fantastic as Elliot transcends any preconceived notions I may have about the way I will enjoy a record, according to season. This one’s a keeper.