Elephant - Shooting for the Moon

Following up their debut Big Thing, Rotterdam’s Elephant, comprised of Frank Schalkwijk, Michael Broekhuizen, Bas Vosselman and Kaj van Driel, are back with their second full-length album, Shooting For The Moon.  All the hallmarks of their debut are still here like the warm vocals and great vocal harmonies, the incredible lead guitar that adds so much texture and mood to every single song, the songs themselves with their never-ending hooks and the music that often has a dreaminess to it reminiscent of a modern-day meshing of Americana and the breezy West Coast sounds of the seventies.  Having said that, many of the tracks find them expanding on their debut and experimenting a little.  “Post-Punk” opens the disc and while it is really gorgeous tune it really shows some of this experimental side with the contrast of Michael’s almost droning guitar that works brilliantly.  The breezy, laid-back “The Morning” is up next and hearkens back to their debut.  It also contains guest vocals from Flemish singer Meskerem Mees that complement Frank’s vocals perfectly.  A little more upbeat, “Enemy” has a massively infectious groove with swirling guitars, while “Baby Jean” slows things down again and is very melancholy with great vocal harmonies and a softer guitar that creates a textured wave of sound.  “Dog in the Park” changes things up a bit again, opening with a quick funky bass line that then falls to the background and continues throughout the song.  It is a little more upbeat, but still has that Elephant sound, as does “Bullets” with its extremely infectious chorus and beat.  “The Magnet” is a definite standout with more of a psychedelic feel (there are a few moments where it reminds me of a rootsier Pink Floyd) and some stellar guitar work that has a subdued, wavery sound that really enhances it.  That psychedelic vibe continues on “Alice”, which is driven by a simple, yet propulsive beat and of course that guitar.  Even though the lyrics deal with the aftermath of a break up, “Better Man” is an easygoing track with a loping, almost  country beat along with some squeaky synths that give it a bit of a Grandaddy vibe at times.  The combination of the ringing, acoustic guitar and Schalkwijk’s whispery vocals of the delicate “Moonlight” closes the album perfectly.  Just like their debut, which was one of my favorite albums of 2022, Shooting for the Moon was easily one of my top releases of 2023.  Hopefully they can continue the tradition in 2024.

(Excelsior Recordings)