Efterklang - Raincoats

by Adrian Huggins

published: 2 / 10 / 2010

Label: 4AD
Format: CDS

Gentle but compelling indie pop on third single from their third album for Danish band, Efterklang

Review

The third single from the Danes' third album ‘Magic Chairs’, Efterklang return with 'Raincoats' with more of the same atmospheric and warm music that has brought them such wide acclaim since their inception ten years ago now. It is gentle yet powerful, delightfully simple but totally mind bending in places. Building from a simple start out of front man Casper Clausen's vocals and some handclaps, 'Raincoats' weaves and spirals as more vocal harmonies are added. It then gently brings in some straight down-the-line drumming that shouldn’t fit in there, but it does and the result is both truly befitting of the ever looming winter and totally beautiful. If Efterklang were an object, they would be the coziest and warm blanket you could imagine. Solo artist Peter Broderick from Bella Union and Nils Frahn of Erased Tapes do a beautiful job of providing a gorgeous B-side in their remix of Efterklang's ‘Harmonics’. This is another very simple number based around vocals and a little bit of instrumentation, but it is done so perfectly that it takes you so much further than it seems it should. This is a wonderful return to form from a refreshingly unique band.