El Vy is the collaborative project of long-time friends, tour mates and mutual admirers Matt Berninger (the National) and Brent Knopf (Menomena/Ramona Falls). The duo chipped away at this debut album for years, Berninger steadily writing lyrics after arena shows and Knopf crafting the arrangements in his downtime.
The result is a collection of upbeat indie rock songs that brings out the very best in both players. Knopf’s arrangements are textured and vast, ranging from moody, downtempo piano punctuated by lilting guitar (Sleeping Light) and gritty rock and roll (Happiness, Missouri) to funky synth lines mixed with orchestral grandeur (Need A Friend.)
The music provides contrast to Berninger’s bleak, autobiographical storytelling, which feels more eclectic than his work with the National – and not just because he’s often accompanied by a crew of backing vocalists with El Vy. Case in point: on I’m The Man To Be, he channels an egotistical, sex-hungry rock star, possessing a swagger that’s literally interrupted when a hotel staff member enters his room mid-vocal take.
El Vy gives both musicians an opportunity to explore musical personalities different from those of their main gigs. Here’s hoping El Vy isn’t a one-off project.
Top track: I’m The Man To Be
El Vy play the Opera House November 17.
