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Elevatorfører

Søvngænger

Written by: BV on 11/08/2016 18:00:31

Surprised can hardly be an adequate word when describing my attitude towards the fact that one of my favorite live bands, Elevatorfører, were scheduled to release not one but two studio albums on the same day. Long-awaited studio albums, I might add. You see, for those of you unaware of what Elevatorfører is, it is a band of sorts playing psychedelic rock music with a plethora of influences seething through their playful soundscapes, witty lyricism and quite frankly odd stage appearances. With nothing more than a live album under their belt, they have been making a name for themselves in this kind of Danish psych milieu because of their often amazing live performances but now, it would seem, is their time to shine in the studio-album format as well. This particular review will focus on the “Søvngænger” album, whilst another review will be focused entirely on “Prøv Lige at Forestille Dig Det”.

“Søvngænger” is an odd album on its own. Featuring many of the tracks also available as live versions on Elevatorfører’s debut “Opkald Fra Ukendt Etage”, it has that strange sort of compilation feel to it – even though a couple of the tracks have never actually been released (whilst those that have often sound quite different in these studio versions). Take album opener “Vertikal Bus” as the first example as it sounds quite similar to its live counterpart. Except it’s far more mellow and less chaotic. In other words it’s a controlled sonic environment surrounding a track I’d dare call a classic. Perhaps this was how it was meant to sound all those years ago when I first saw the band live? Honestly I have no idea, but it is actually quite cool to have these different vibes coming from what are essentially the same tracks. “Den Hypnotiske Jakke” sounds quite a bit heavier for instance, whilst “Søsangen” has suddenly transformed into a 9-minute epic with more guitar solos than I ever thought necessary – but they are just that; quite necessary.

The newer tracks are quite laid-back on their own. The title track, “Søvngænger” takes on the form of an introspective ballad – something I still have a hard time associating with Elevatorfører. It does, however, work extraordinarily well in terms of album cohesion as it now ranges from silly and energetic efforts, over guitar-solo epics and introspective ballads. That’s a fair bit of variation in less than 40 minutes if you ask me. “Strategisk Rødvin” takes on the role of a hypnotic drone with a genuinely great set of lyrics to it. It could be five, ten or twenty minutes long – I don’t really care, because it engulfs my senses every single time I listen to it. While many people tend to compare Elevatorfører to the likes of Spids Nøgenhat, Hyldemor and even Skousen & Ingemann I find this a bit unfair, because they are entirely their own – even if they make hefty use of every single inspiration they have and can come across as derivative from time to time.

Download: Vertikal Bus, Strategisk Rødvin, Søsangen
For The Fans Of: Spids Nøgenhat, Fribytterdrømme, De Fortabte Spillemænd
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Release date 16.07.2016
Gateway Music