Current mood: UNCERTAIN...
Category: UNCERTAIN... Music
With piracy on planet music now more common than real ship-based piracy is in Johnny Depp land, the key to survival for the small and decent record labels, (particularly those started in pre-internet times) is to get an act who can pull in the monkey and allow the other less commercial artistes some space in which to breathe and multiply...
Essentially, nothing much has changed. Quoasis were the only thing between Creation being the widely considered success-legend of the independents and a quaint yet thoroughly bankrupt failure..
Unlike the now defunkt Creation, the UK based label Leaf has always fed and watered itself on acts unlikely to reach the top 40, let alone the top 10 (or whatever the hell the benchmark of commercial success is these days). Willfully following it's own urges down the kind of electronic, folk and lo-fi corridors that generally only garner cult followings, Leaf's very survival depends on fans of the label willingly paying for records they can often download or copy for free - that and them pulling off a decent alt.coup...
Efterklangs debut record Tripper was the fastest selling debut album in Leafs history and their second effort Parades has been 2 years in the making. So is this the kind of record that can secure a money rich lifeline for Leaf??
Parades is a calm and more than soothing LP.
As with the Nancy Elizabeth album I looked at last week, it's well and lovingly worked. It has 3 different choirs, organic planning, dense foggy layers galore and isn't short of either innovation or complication throughout.
To categorise it would be hard. It's part folk, part religious music, part classical, part experimental. You could perhaps compare it with something like Sigur Ros, or even perhaps the quieter moments of an act like Animal Collective or a more complex and contemporary Spacemen 3...
What I'm saying is that Efterklang clearly aren't afraid to do their own thing and certainly aren't too concerned with popping up their style to make hits.
But is this record an alt.hit??
For me it's not...
No boss, what Parades lacks is an X Factor.
Now, I obviously don't want a Shane Ward easy pop moment, but to set my ass an alt.bloomer, an alt.LP needs something to make it stand up and out, and sadly Parades doesn't quite have this...
Parades is the kind of LP that may grow up and on in time, but I'm on the 4th or 5th play now and every time it's on, I forget it's there. It slots into drone land, it drifts, it sounds over produced - the direction is lost, I loose interest and decide I need to put something else on with a bit more verve...
But since when has a label like Leaf relied on pleasing everyone, particularly wak opinionated bitches like Paul Giovanni IIIrd??
It hasn't and doesn't, and one key thing I've been hugely impressed with since finding myself on their promo list is that Leafs musical risk taking has lasted more than 12 years, AND that there are plenty of quality notches in their bedposts.
The 'Greatest Hits' LP Check The Water (review imminent) is a cracker and from hearing this alone, I'm more than certain there are plenty MORE gems waiting to back catalogued to freedom....
So for this reason, I'd highly recomend you buy this, Check The Water or something else on Leafs substantial list...
Oh, and whilst you're at it, SAVE A SOUTH AFRICAN CHILD!!!
 | Currently listening : Parades By Efterklang Release date: 13 November, 2007  |
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