About halfway through Valley Of The Kilowatt Hour, Elvyn sings, “We’re all just walking in footprints of the sounds you can’t replace.” It’s one of the better songs on the Peterborough/Toronto band’s first release in five years, and that attitude toward music – that the good-ol’ days are behind us – is pervasive throughout. Their good-timey melodies invoke the Eagles and Big Star, but while the production is crisp and the harmonies sweet, Elvyn’s catchy classic pop frequently comes off as more of a middling imitation than a nod to their heroes.
For example, on Turning Me Down the band tries too hard to sound exactly like the Beatles. But when they’re good, they’re damn good, as evidenced by the sunshiney Ellie, whose chorus might have come from a mid-90s alternative radio chart topper. Last Laugh, which has just enough of Bruce Springsteen’s Adam Raised A Cain in it to pull off an inspired dark groove, is also a highlight. With its myriad classic influences, the album is a fitting celebration to ring in Elvyn’s 15th anniversary.
Top track: Ellie
Elvyn play the Horseshoe on Friday (December 11).
