Eltro
Information Changer (Absolutely Kosher)
By Jim Keller
Published: October 24th, 2002 | 10:13am
On Information Changer Eltro seem to loosely combine funk with a more subtle form of electronica, leaving listeners engulfed in thick, instrumental soundscapes dotted with Diana Prescott's slightly off-kilter vocals. The music itself is beautiful, although, due to the lack of audible words, I have to wonder if they can win the hearts of their audience.
A jangly guitar combines with a repeating tape loop on "Storm Cloud of the Century," giving listeners the feeling that they are riding in a small boat, slowly approaching the shoreline of a tropical island. However, just as the boat is about to reach the shore, an escalating keyboard merges with the two, perhaps signifying the presence of a towering waterfall. As if that wasn't enough, a steady bass-line and upbeat drum converge with the rest, letting the listener know that the natives are friendly and they are merely celebrating our arrival. Prescott begins spouting out phrases like "The first cloud lifted" and "Beautiful memory," perhaps in an effort to prove the band's own friendliness to the natives.
Quite a departure from the joyous festivities of "Storm Cloud of the Century," "Grand Canyon" seems to be a haunting representation of America's favorite vacation spot gone wrong. One can only guess about the horror that Prescott is trying to warn us about, but with her sullen voice alone, she managed to convince me to heed her warning. Despite the obvious differences between "Grand Canyon" and "Storm Cloud of the Century," there is still some kind of a formula, as both songs are pulled along by a steady bass-line, but later greeted with a lighthearted keyboard and Prescott's slightly off-kilter vocals. The way the music dives and soars throughout "Orangina" seems to break through Eltro's formula, bringing to mind tiny bubbles floating to the top of a carbonated soft drink. As the track progresses into a haze of distortion, the listener almost strains her eyes trying to see through the murky orange and into the eyes of guitarist Jorge Sandrini as he sings "Orangina" to us from the other side of the glass.
Eltro definitely have a knack for creating crystal-clear images in their listeners' heads. But with all the images being created without the aid of lyrics, I have to wonder what purpose Prescott's and Sandrini's vocals serve. I also wonder if Prescott's seemingly out-of-tune vocal patterns are intended or just a product of a first-time recording. Either way, Eltro still serve as a refreshing break from today's rocknroll revival, although they would quench their audience's thirst much more if their lyrics reflected more content than clouds and soft drinks.
Issue #35
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