Review Summary: Efterklang invite the entire town to jam
After the minimalistic, stripped bare glitch of Tripper, it seems Efterklang got lonely.
What’s the solution? Come down from the glaciers, call in friends and family, crack out the aquavit, and record the resulting celebration.
The result is Parades, an album which by all rights should be an abject mess; clashing string and brass quartets, dichotomous whispers and chanting topped off with accordion solos and smatterings of glitch i.e. not your usual musical ingredients.
Thanks however to brilliant orchestration and the band’s trademark restraint, Parades is the sum of all its parts, and much more. Think of it as a musical journey through a physical space, picture people spilling out of their doors to join in the festivities, bringing their own unique slant to each song as the album marches on.
The modus operandi? It doesn’t matter what instrument you play, so long as you play with passion.
Whilst each contribution is special, it is fusion that makes the album exquisite. Trumpets resonate over soaring violins whilst percussion vies with chanted vocals for rhythmical control of the movement, euphoria ebbs and flows incessantly, stretching to unbelievable heights before collapsing in a wash of sublime electronica and soft crooning. Album highlight ‘Frida Found a Friend’ builds from a perfected Tripper like vibe into a glorious tug of war between off kilter beats and sensual vocals that, for lack of a better description, sounds like an aural manifestation of an orgasm (with brass accompaniment).
Jaw dropping moments such as this are plentiful, beautifully conceptualized and masterfully executed. Complex instrumentation and skewed time signatures abound, and yet it at no point does it sound forced. Every instrument drops perfectly into place, often guided by the off beat vocals that dominate tracks such as Caravan
At other times gorgeous simplicity proves just as adept at engaging and enveloping the listener; instead of wondering at the jigsaw like quality of the music you can just lay back and appreciate the blissful aural ribbons that tie this gift together.
If Tripper was the sound of a midnight sojourn far from civilisation, Parades is the homecoming celebration; loud, joyful and above all human. Lifeblood pulses through the multifaceted veins of this album, giving the music unparalled vivacity and energy.
Woefully overlooked by the musical community, this is a gem that shines brightly even when placed alongside acknowledged indie masterpieces.
It really is that good.
