Elora came together in Marseilles in 2005, and after releasing an EP in 2010 they signed with German label Progressive Promotion Records and have now just released their debut album ‘Crash’. I have no problem listening to lyrics in another language, as it allows me to concentrate on the overall feel and sound of the songs (I’m a typical pom, can understand Te Reo Maori just enough to sing the anthem and I know the odd word, but apart from that it’s English all the way). But, here I think I must be missing out on something as I just don’t ‘get’ this album as much as I think that I should. It’s extremely solid crossover with loads of influences, notably Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd among others, and the use of male and female leads and harmonies is a nice aspect, but it is never really more than that.
If I try to dig into why I feel this way, I can only say that there is no real hook or melodic flow for me to really connect with the music, so it rather passes me by. At times very dreamy indeed, and almost New Age, there just isn’t enough bite and edge for me to get excited about it. Possibly if I understood French then it might have more meaning, but this is like a snack as opposed to a full meal and leaves me wanting more.
www.progressive-promotion.de
