It’s rare that I hear a band for the very first time and am immediately impressed by their ingenuity– listening to a full album every day for 450 days in a row will do that to you, especially when you supplement that already staggering habit with hits of singles throughout the day. But when I first heard Elder’s Reflections of a Floating World last week I was genuinely impressed with the craftsmanship of every inch of the record. They’re a throwback to the opulence of 70’s prog-rock and all its sheer guitar shreddiness, compiling epic journeys in both length (each song on Reflections averages a run-time just over 10 and a half minutes) and scale (they draw inspiration from everything from doom metal to math-rock to the sugary sweet melodic hooks of the late Duane Allman) that transform and evolve in real-time during the course of their epic journeys. There’s a time and place for radio-friendly hooks you don’t have to think too much about, and then there’s a time and place for experiencing something that feels like it’s exploring a new planet for the very first time. Elder is certainly the latter, and Reflections of a Floating World is a transcendent experience that should not be missed. This is one of my most favorite and cherished “new music” finds over the past year and a half. It’s a rock and roll revelation that cuts its own path on its journey to find new ground.
Standout Songs: “Sanctuary”, “The Falling Veil”, “Staving Off Truth”, “Blind”
