I’m sober, sitting at a desk, in daylight. I like good lyrics, fine melody and indie-guitar music. Ok, so I’m not exactly the market for Swedish band Ef, but just because I’m not off my tits on space cake in a darkened room doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the joy that is Ef’s latest, largely instrumental, take on epic-rock.
Think film score-a-like specialists Explosions in the Sky mixed with twee Icelandic Bjork-ites Sigur Ros and you’re somewhere near the sound of Ef.
Trumpets sweep in and out across the tracks, most of which are well over six minutes long. Track 3, the enigmatically titled ‘K-141 KYPCK’ is perhaps the best, weaving between speeded up metalcore explosions and calmer dainty little guitar segments.
Track 4, ‘Longing for Colours’ is the nearest to a single. Starts off unusually with singing, mainly oooh—aaahhing that is abandoned half way through as the band wig out on head-sway juice, presumably imagining space-scapes and movie stars dancing around the studio as the music takes hold.
To my shame, my knowledge of Swedish indie bands hadn’t extended as far as Ef, but it turns out they have been knocking around for years, well since 2003 to be precise. Previous stuff has largely been similarly devoid of vocals but they’ve really pushed the boat out production wise with Mourning Golden Morning, which is their third album. There’s also a real sense of effort here, that they’ve put everything into this. Heart and soul and all that.
There’s a pretty big market for the likes of Explosions in the Sky, there’s also a pretty big market for alcohol and drugs. So with the right kind of ID and mood Ef’s latest has the potential to attract a far larger audience, or at least a support slot with Explosions.
Here’s what the band have to say for themselves on the PR blurb sent out by Shelsmusic, their UK distributor. “We don’t want to put too many thoughts in your head by explaining the music too much.”
I like them already. Most musicians who open their gobs tend to talk utter drivel, so their silence is to be welcomed. However, the band promptly forget their pledge and revert to pretentious musician type as they proceed to bang on and on and on and on about the importance of using as few words as possible in as many words as possible.
“Mourning golden morning is the result of a few friends, a few years older than last time, trying to tell some epic stories with as few words as possible, using sound instead to explore and release emotions..etc..etc.” You get the drift.
7/10
by Joe Lepper
Mourning Golden Morning, UK release April 5, 2010
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