Here in Cairo, I get a lot of time to listen to my Ipod and really digest albums in a way I never had time for in the States. It becomes the soundtrack to my walks, sunsets, adventures, etc. So I've been downloading as much new music as possible and listening to the albums over and over. Since I'm writing every day I'm going to start doing album reviews periodically so that you might know what I'm listening to and if its something you might like as well.
First review is of Efterklang's Parades (The Leaf Label, October 2007).
This is for fans of Sigur Ros, Bjork, The Octopus Project
Their name in Danish means, reverberance and rememberance, which is a pretty apt description. Remember the first time you saw the movie Baraka? You got this feeling of almost overwhelming imensity and beauty, but there were also some parts that were haunting and almost disturbing. You felt like you were watching an Imax movie, even though it was on a regular sized screen. That is how you feel when you listen to Efterklang. You are surprised that there is so much music coming through your headphones, so many layers and instruments coming together to make a cohesive, symphonic and beautiful sound.
The album itself has a beautiful, slow build to it, crashing into intensity at some points and creeping into a score for a Tim Burton film only to build back up into a fiery explosion for your ears.
Any complaints I might have about any aspect of this album seem to diminish the more I listen to it. I still have a general feeling that there is something missing, that the album could be more or better somehow. I am excited about this album, but I'm even more excited about what their next full length release will bring. 7.5/10
Watch their newest video and judge for yourself:
