Elf Power - A Dream in Sound 1999

The aptly titled A Dream in Sound is Elf Power's creative breakthrough -- inventively produced by the great Dave Fridmann, the record is a great leap forward from the previous When the Red King Comes, boasting a bright, majestic sheen (the richest to grace an Elephant 6 release to date) that illuminates the striking pop melodies once buried below the group's fuzz-drenched surface. Although song titles like "High Atop the Silver Branches" and "Simon (The Bird with the Candy Bar Head)" serve notice thatthe Elves' psychedelic tendencies are still in full bloom, there's a new emotional complexity behind the songs as well -- Andrew Rieger's high, plaintive vocals lend a strange poignancy to his surreal narratives, and tracks like the lovely "Jane" possess genuine sweetness and warmth. A major addition to the E6 canon, A Dream in Sound pushes Elf Power to the label's front lines alongside Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel -- lofty company indeed. AMG.

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