Elephant - Big Thing

A little over a year ago I was going through some new releases and threw on the debut EP from Rotterdam’s Elephant.  Unlike most releases that take a few spins to really sink in, that EP hit me from the first listen.  I immediately went down the rabbit hole watching YouTube videos (some containing songs not on the EP) and after interviewing the band discovered that they had already recorded, but not yet released, a full-length album.  Now, after getting a sneak peak here and there as they released a few singles, that album is finally out, and I can assure you it was well worth the wait.  Like the EP, Big Thing was produced by Pablo van de Poel from the Dutch band DeWolff and draws you in with their textured instrumentation and lush, rich vocals, stellar harmonies and well crafted, hook-filled songs that give them a dreamy, laid-back sound reminiscent of a cross between Americana and the West Coast sounds of the seventies, but without really being either.  Another element that really helps to set them apart is the lead guitar, which enhances the songs and really gives them a lot of character.  Some of the better examples of this are “Calling”, which has that West Coast sound with great guitar work throughout and some distortion towards the end, “Hometown”, a tune very reminiscent of Cass McCombs, with some insane harmonies and a bit of fuzz and echo on the guitar, and “Only Love” and “Medicine”, both of which throw in a little twangy guitar, along with a touch of jazz in the latter.  Even though most of the songs have a really mellow vibe, they still manage to mix things up to keep it fresh with songs like “Saturday Night” and its strong George Harrison influence (especially in the guitar), “Sunlight”, with its light, lilting vibe that sounds like a late night hanging out on the beach and “Reptile Zoo”, which has a touch of jazz in the guitars and drums.  “Happiness” is more of a straightforward mood piece with some nice guitar work and an interesting drum groove, but no normal “verse chorus verse”, and closer “Bird’s Eye View (reprise)” is just that, a short reprise of one of their EP tracks complete with some tasty slide guitar.  Lastly is their psychedelic rock take on the traditional tune “Know You Rider”, full of fuzzed out, reverb drenched guitar, which is definitely a different direction from the rest of the album and shows they can rock out too.  Even though the year is currently just half over, I have no doubt that this will end up being one of my top releases of 2022 if not sitting at the top. I would highly recommend doing yourself a favor and checking out both Big Thing and last year’s EP. 

(Excelsior Recordings)