Slaraffenland's new album lies somewhere between the chapel and the indie-rock pub. Their pastoral chanting and soft-gold horns will have you performing the sign of the cross under a cloak of angelic light, while their more percussive moments ache for a stage, a tap or two, and a dark place to nod along, eyes closed.
Seriously though, some of these horn sections are tender enough to make you weep uncontrollably. It makes for odd stretches where you feel like a jock at a piano recital, not knowing whether to let the music take you away or act tough until you figure it all out. That's probably the best quality it has going for it; We're On Your Side isn't a record you'll bleach from your memory easily, by dint of its strange environs and keen knack for tugging at some weird part of you that you didn't know existed.
Although I can't seem to find their coordinates on any map, nor very many modern bands to compare them to, Slaraffenland are comfortable where they are, and this is a reassuring listen once you reach their location, tidy and ordered. I have to say, however, that a decrease in variation between songs leaves something to be desired, especially when compared side-by-side to the random clatter of Private Cinema, which in retrospect and by comparison seems ridiculously ramshackle and untamed. Now, the tentacles that tended to reach out and grab you by the throat are softer; they pet you rather than molest you.
That might sound more appealing to YOU, but I want to be manhandled a little bit. The slamming and surging of "Sleep Tight," "Rod," and "This One Will Kill Us" have been for all intents and purposes dropped in favor of the aforementioned crystal-clear, concise delivery. There are a lot of rhythmic components working together on cuts like "Postcard" and "Hunting," the lyrics are provocative ("I could have been someone I knew/ Your place is where I should be") throughout, and the multitude of instruments intermingling with each other ensure you'll never be bored.
But I repeat: This is a much different experience. There's a lot more group chanting; in fact, that's what the vocals are. It can be irksome when not tempered by long-ass instrumental breaks, and though there are instances of intensity -- "Hunting" spirals toward a particularly debilitating climax -- the Loud is often sacrificed for the Lofty. When it works ("Falling Out" is simply gorgeous, "Open Your Eyes" scenic), it works wonderfully, but when it tanks and the horns/woodwinds/chanting get to be too much, it's obvious that there are a few growing pains on Your Side to be ironed out. Of course, listening to Slaraffenland find their way, as they approach indie-rock from a rarified angle, is enjoyable enough in itself to cancel out any inhibitions.
1. Long Gone
2. Meet and Greet
3. Too Late to Think
4. Stars and Smiles
5. The Right Place
6. Hunting
7. Falling Out
8. Postcard
9. Open Your Eyes
10. Away