I put this album in for a friend and his first comment was, "This cd is too happy for you, Jacob." Ok, it is true I have mocked his aversion to the sadder side of music. It is true that I find more interest in darker sonic and lyrical explorations. But I am also a sucker for a good pop song, which is why I can listen to The Polyphonic Spree (who happens to be the happiest group known to man.)
Synthpop is a genre that has to be done really well to not annoy the heck out of me. Most of it just reminds me of cheesy 80s bands that try too hard to write a sappy synthpop radio single. Elkland avoids this trap. Exploration of the press sheet explains why.
There is a section of the sheet that explains who Elkland's music is supposed to remind me of. The usual suspects are there, Joy Division, The Smiths, New Order, and Bjork. Yet buried on page two, the main songwriter and singer for Elkland reveals his first and biggest musical influence, Joy Electric.
While there are certain similarities in Elkland's sound to Joy Electric, they are both synthpop after all (and is it just me or does Elkland put on a pseudo accent?), largely Elkland's sound is bigger and fuller, using guitars and not adhering to Joy Electric's strict synth limitations. What they do share is the same mind set in writing songs. Joy Electric tries to write songs as if they were an alternative rock band, only using synthesizers as the medium. To use Joy Electric's own words, they are rock.
What drives Elkland's songs home is how incredibly catchy the choruses are. Out of nowhere I'll find myself humming one of the songs from Golden. After I played a couple of songs for my friend, I found one of the songs stuck in my head the rest of the day. Unlike many songs that do that (think "Oops I Did It Again") Elkland doesn't get annoying.
With all that said, there are some negatives to the album. The biggest complaint is how a lot of the tracks tend to have a very similar feel about them. However, the overall tone is pleasant enough that it isn't a major flaw. If you like synthpop or if you like catchy rock, then check this album out.
3/4
