Over the years Phil Elvrum has dazzled many a listener with his lyrical journeys into distant lands accompanied by adventurous production and stellar songwriting. Records such as The Glow Pt. 2 placed the Microphones in the pantheon of indie adoration, but just as things were going so well, Elvrum decided to shift gears. After 2003’s Mount Eerie, Elvrum dropped the Microphones name and adopted that of said record for his new project. Although he has released a number of limited-edition records since, it has been almost two years since a proper Elvrum LP.
Nowadays, it’s quiet up there on Mount Eerie. On No Flashlight Elvrum is now sleep-walking where he once strode, softly humming instead of singing out and generally plying that strange territory between wakefulness and sleep. The new songs blend together like the passages of a dream. Not to say that there aren’t loud or abrasive moments on No Flashlight, it’s just that they are caught in the stream of the quieter numbers. Having read all this, you might ask – why listen at all? The thing is, this dozy is mostly quite a doozey.
Much has been made (among maybe 1000 people, that is) of Elvrum’s change from the Microphones moniker to Mount Eerie. Despite all the talk, alot of No Flashlight sounds familiar – Elvrum is still reaching into the void, scratching around in dark corners and pondering eternal questions about our existence. In this sense, the new record is a fitting continuation of the themes and sounds explored on albums such as Mount Eerie and The Glow Pt. 2. This is not to say Elvrum hasn’t developed. No Flashlight features his first real foray into classic metal on 'The Moan', which comes complete with dualing prog-rockish guitars. Furthermore, the collaborations that were a hallmark of records such as Mount Eerie are largely gone. Lyrically, Elvrum is again in fine shape. On No Flashlight Elvrum is able to transform his human form and allow it to be subjected to all manner of things. ‘How?’, for example, features some of his finest quips yet, “Having washed my face in a frozen stream/Having lived in guest rooms for the last seven years/Having just doubled in size, admitting animal loving.”
Overall, No Flashlight is a strong, cohesive record. Its effect is slightly muted, however, when you consider how long Elvrum has forged his particular path. The questions will be - does No Flashlight offer enough surprises for old fans? Will new listeners be underwhelmed at first listen and simply pass it over? Decide for yourself – vote it up!!
