Garden of Elks should soundtrack horror films.
‘Floaty’ starts off in familiar American alt-rock territory, it’s all very comfortable as it gallops along, spurred on by creepy vocals and strong Novoselic-like bass playing, however, just as I was about to forgive you for thinking you’d heard it all before; the guitars savagely rip the music from the early-90s and plunge it straight into the dark heart of a horror film.
This witch-conjuring detour is the track’s saving grace; it’s always a good sign when a simple guitar part can place your imagination firmly in the penultimate scene of a paranormal thriller with such ease.
Manifesting in your mind those helpless moments, heart in mouth, breath suspended and white-knuckles firmly wrapped around your cinema seat as the monster finally reveals itself – and when it does, you “watch her float”.
‘Clouds’ is a softly sung, but firmly tongue in cheek rant (I hope) over the pervasive and unwarranted sadness that litters most alternative rock.
“We’re all sad/they’re all sad/we’re all sad cos they’re all sad – we were sad first” goes the pained chorus, underpinned by a Cobain-esque detuned acoustic guitar line.
Again, it’s more than a little haunting – this time helped immeasurably by the constantly rising backing vocal as opposed to the guitar parts of the former and this makes for a decent B-side.
This single, although unlikely to set the world of alternative rock on fire, might at least scare a few folks into buying the record (were it not already released for free) and certainly hints at something better (and I hope, more terrifying) to come.
Words: Chris McCrory
