Why?
Elephant Eyelash
Anticon

Sometimes Why? is the answer. Like if putting up the Q: 'Who's one of the more exciting bands for the moment?' I guess Elephant Eyelash will end up as one of the better albums of the year. It's a thrilling, sparkling, chilling, blasting fountain of melodic avant-trip-pop made by one of the many bands from out of the big Anticon family/collective.

Why? is fronted by Yoni Wolf, who's had a lot other projects running (cLOUDDEAD, Reaching Quiet, Hymie's Basement). He's now brought in three buddies on his team Why? - brother Josiah Wolf, Doug McDiarmid, and Matt Meldon. The former natives of Cincinnati have all relocated to California, to the Oakland Bay Area. Elephant Eyelash (the second album proper after 2003's Oaklandazulasylum) is highly effective. 12 songs in 41 minutes is just the perfect length for an album. Elephant Eyelash opens with "Crushed Bones", which is a, uh, bone-crushing smash of pop-song in the crossover terrain of pop and hip-hop, think the Streets meets Pavement meets Eels meets Neutral Milk Hotel meets Beck meets Sparklehorse. Why? plays jangly pop-rock, and bouncy folk-pop with a slight 'sike' touch, light indie-rock, mixed perfectly with rhymes and rhythms from smart, modern hip-hop. Other tracks worth checking out if you're considering to approach this gang: "Rubber Traits", "The Hoofs" and "Act Five" (they're both like hearing Neutral Milk Hotel playing songs co-written with Beck and E), and the dark and gloomy, yet sparkling "Fall Saddles". Then there's the first single Sanddollars, which is rudely catchy (and quite Pavement-ish). Some songs make me recall They Might Be Giants whom I really had 'a crush' on some 15 years ago (before playing the records 'to death'). Finally I also recommend to check out the lyrics - they are quite amazing.

Elephant Eyelash is simply gorgeous!

Distribution in Norway: Tuba! / Tuba!

Copyright © 2005 Håvard Oppøyen