I’ve been a fan of Elika for quite some time now, having discovered their first self-released EPs on CDBaby a few years back. What most intrigues me about them is the balance they strike between noisy or glitchy experimentalism and straight up pop, but often without blending the two. It’s actually the jumping around I enjoy, even though all are discernably Elika. Their newest release sees them bringing the disparate strands together a little more, but I can happily report that I’m still a fan.
The CD release comes in a 29 minute, 7 track version, while the limited edition vinyl adds a bonus track (haven’t things gone full circle since the late 80s!?). ‘The Whip’ opens up both versions and, while it’s been promoted as the lead single – video clip and all – I actually find it my least favourite track. Not that it’s bad, but Garbage mined similar territory with much punchier production 10 years ago and the rockist aspirations of the song really need that aspect in order to fully flourish. Much more successful are the rest of the moodier, hazier tracks. ‘To The End’ opens with abstract ambience and bass guitar riffing under the kind of meandering melody that best suits Evagelia Maravelias’ voice. The track builds with lush guitars, strings and subtle rhythms before hitting full guitar freakout mode 3 and a half minutes in. It’s possibly a kind of definitive Elika track, summing up many of the things they do well. The album is a much more song based collection overall, with only ‘Confidence Killed My Spirit’ being purely instrumental, though even here, dreamy vocal samples keep things very human. ‘Let Down’ features the most memorable melody emphasised by distinct verse/chorus musical structures and distressed beat programming. ‘They’ll Hate Us’ could almost be a Mazzy Star track with laptop backing – another haunting melody.
Elika have a kind of looseness that I quite enjoy – nothing is too pristine, though there is a lushness. The vocals always verge on straying out of tune, but Maravelias uses this attribute to her advantage, giving her singing a vulnerable humanity which suits the music and the lyrics well. And, as a single body of work, Trying Got Us Nowhere is far more concise and unified in its production than previous outings, without losing a sense of exploration and the possibility of new directions.
Adrian Elmer
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