Hearing Aid: Elephant Back, “The Black Album” and “The White Album”

If there’s one thing musicians should have in order to appeal to a large audience, it is musical diversity. Elephant Back maintains their own unique sounds whilst having dynamic, ranging styles. The two latest albums by the duo showcase exactly that. The Black Album and The White Album have their own categories of sound, and one is not like the other.

Starting with The White Album, the initial track “Home,” is reminiscent of an Appalachian Folk song, mixed with Lumineers-esque soaring indie vocals. The opening track sets the tone and vibe of this album, preparing the listener for folky, indie, emotional odes to love and life-changes. The song “W.T.F.I.C.??” has a spunky indie-pop feel, but simultaneously shows clear Beatles influence in the chords and bass licks.

A great way to describe some of the songs on The White Album would be campfire-song. Songs you can gather around with your friends. Songs where you can pull out a guitar and sing, sitting on some grass just vibing together. The album’s closing track, “Move Me” is quite touching and did, in fact, move me to tears. With the album consisting of six main tracks and one hidden track, the record comes out to less than a half hour of music, yet in these 25 minutes, the band achieves great range and emotional depth.

Continuing onto Elephant Back’s The Black Album, it is a blatantly stark contrast from The White Album. This album’s opening track, “A Lot To Do” immediately grasps the listener with its 60s-style surf rock. The next song, “Bad Love” rings with clear indie-rock/alternative sound, reminiscent of bands like The White Stripes or Arctic Monkeys.

Each track on the album has its own distinct sound, while still tying in a common style. With elements of grunge, indie-rock, surf-rock, and pop-punk, this album is dynamic in its sound and its influences. Upon listening, you can really hear specific influences in each song. For some, Nirvana or Soundgarden can be heard, for others you can hear The Smashing Pumpkins or Blink-182.

To listen to the two latest Elephant Back albums The White Album and The Black Album, check them out on Spotify or YouTube, also be sure to visit their website at ElephantBackMusic.com.