Eschewing traditional pop rock music for a more stripped-down sound focused on unique structure and songwriting, Seattle band Elba embark on their third (and self-titled) release with hopes of finding their way into your everyday listening rotation (and your next lazy day road trip).
The first thing that jumps out at you is that this album is a rarity these days: a complete album, with tracks that build on top of each other and compliment each other, instead of individual tracks that were designed to be singles.
From the ominous opening track, “Off Season,” it seems like so many of the songs segue so well into the next, providing music that makes you feel like you are on some sort of instrumental adventure, with tracks like “Statues and Shipyards” and “August” giving depth and narrative to the journey you are on.
Although there is a bit of lull with certain tracks, and the transistion from song to song wasn’t always perfectly executed, I was still excited to hear how the next song would tie in with the rest of the songs, which was refreshing to hear. This album is a soundtrack for any busy day or random adventure, but also great for falling asleep and narrating your dreams. With a simple approach that comes together to somehow create a diverse and rich sound, Elba’s newest effort is definitely worth the trip.
