Elf Power - Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs

Orange Twin
(OTR058-1: 708527230039/OTR055-3)
Release date: 01/05/2018
Genre: Indie Rock

$29.00

Elf Power's classic 1995 debut remastered and reissued on limited edition clear vinyl. Includes a bonus 7" of their 1996 The Winter Hawk EP. Download code included.

LP Side One:

1. Pioneer Mansion
2. Temporary Arm
3. All Your Experiments
4. Finally Free
5. Drug Store
6. Loverboy's Demise

LP Side Two:

1. Slither Hither
2. Circular Malevolence
3. When the Serpents Approach
4. Surgery
5. Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs
6. Arachnid Dungeon Attack

The Winter Hawk EP

Side One:

1. Grand Intrusion Call
2. Heroes and Insects

EP Side Two:

1. The Winter Hawk
2. Exalted Exit Wound

Original description:

Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs is the first full-length release by indie rock band Elf Power. Released in 1995, it is a compact disc reissue of their debut LP and 7" single on Arena Rock Recording Co.

The underlying ethic behind the lo-fi revolution started in the late '80s by such seminal subterranean bands as the Pixies, Sonic Youth, and later, Pavement, is that crudely economical, more analog-based techniques of recording lay the music bare, creating a pure experience for the ear as sound was meant to be heard, and forcing the artist to rely more on his or her creativity, rather than gloss or a "fix it in the mix" sensibility. This is the badge and battle cry of those who feel that glossy, radio-ready production only serves to tame the feral spirit and soul of the music, and when it works (as is shown by many other members of the Elephant 6 collective) it can produce a captivatingly personal album experience for the listener like no other, but when it goes awry, without the gossamer sheen of that same polish to smooth the sting of rockier terrains, that same listener can be in for one hopelessly excruciating ride. Elf Power's 1995 debut, Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs, roughly falls somewhere in between these two destinations. On one hand, Andrew Rieger has a definite melodic talent that gives most of the material here an inherent listenability despite its slovenly intent, and regardless of the reigning juvenile weirdness of the lyrics, several of the better songs manage to make lasting first impressions ("Finally Free," "Circular Malevolence," and the title track being the best of these). Furthermore, there is strange, experimental affection surrounding the songs that borders on the mystically surreal, and if nothing else, is intriguing enough in itself to make the album worthwhile; this is especially true on later versions of the disc that include the five songs consisting of the group's Winterhawk EP. The problem here is that the songs are so poorly recorded (even more so than most lo-fi projects), they aren't really done any justice by an approach of such defiant trashiness, and Rieger's songwriting talents only serve to make the frequent obstructions of sonic disarray and derangement that much more frustrating. One has to wonder what Elf Power could do with the production genius of someone like Robert Schneider (from the better-known Elephant 6 band, the Apples in Stereo) behind them. Fortunately, all this slapdash procedure is easily excusable when one takes into consideration the fact that this is merely the debut release of a band who would go on to see their vision bear much greater fruition with their next album, When the Red King Comes, so in the end, while everything here does sound like a really cheap home recording, it paints a very interesting early portrait.

1 Pioneer Mansion

2 Temporary Arm

3 All Your Experiments

4 Finally Free

5 Drug Store

6 Loverboy's Demise

7 Slither Hither

8 Circular Malevolence

9 When The Serpents Approach

10 Surgery

11 Vainly Clutching At Phantom Limbs

12 Arachnid Dungeon Attack

13 Grand Intrusion Call

14 Montser Surprise

15 Heroes And Insects

16 The Winter Hawk

17 Exalted Exit Wounds