On April 1, Lyons, Colorado-based band Elephant Revival released their sixth album, “Petals.” Made up of Bonnie Paine (lead vocals, washboard, cello, musical saw), Daniel Rodriguez (lead vocals, guitar, percussion), Bridget Law (fiddle and harmony vocals), Dango Rose (upright bass, mandolin, harmony vocals) and Charlie Rose (banjo, pedal steel, guitar), Elephant Revival can be loosely described as a folk band, but their sound goes beyond that. Since the band’s conception in 2006, they have taken influence in everything from hip-hop, to reggae, to folk. As seen in “Petals,” their sound ranges more along the lines of folk and bluegrass, but it definitely doesn’t stop there.
“Petals” gets off to a strong start with haunting tune “Hello You Who.” Paine’s voice flows over stripped-down string instrumentation complemented by Rose’s pedal steel. Right off the bat, the bluesy track highlights everything that makes Elephant Revival what they are: intricate musicality, strong songwriting and a melding of varied influences. Law’s violin solos sound slightly Celtic in nature, while the bass and pedal steel take influence from the sounds of the south.
“Peace Tonight,” “On and On,” “Season Song” and “Home in Your Heart” all sound more traditionally folk-rock than other tracks on the album, including “Hello You Who,” but make up a solid base for the record. The songwriting and harmonies are no less melodic and intricate than any of the other songs on the album, but it’s when Elephant Revival strays from the traditional that they really make their mark. The title track, “Sea Monster” and “When I Fell” all stay with the listener even after the album is over because they are so distinctively Elephant Revival and different from most recent folk music.
The interplay between the cello, violin and upright bass creates a sound throughout the album that’s occasionally reminiscent of a Baroque string quartet, creating an agelessness to Elephant Revival’s music. Many of their songs sound like they could have easily been written during Colorado’s earliest days as a frontier outpost, particularly “Furthest Shore.”
What really makes the album click, however, is how in tune the band is which each other. While it’s easy to fix anything in post-production, live shows prove that Elephant Revival’s talent isn’t just a trick of the production studio, and that shines on “Petals.” Their voices harmonize subtly and easily, as do their instruments. The album simply gets better the more you listen to it.
Elephant Revival is on tour in support of “Petals,” but their next Colorado show will not be until late May. The band will be at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on May 22, their first time headlining the venue. Tickets are available at Red Rocks’ website. More information about Elephant Revival can be found on their website, Facebook page and Twitter.
