Hot on the heels of the news they’ll be playing Whelan’s in April, Efterklang have unveiled details of their upcoming new album Magic Chairs along with a brand new single to whet our appetites in anticipation of both the Dublin date and the new LP. In the eyes of many, the Danish orchestral troupe has produced some magical soundscapes which were often beyond censure. Admittedly, with the quiet magnitude of their body of work to date in mind, new material has got alot to live up to and it’s with this in mind that news of Efterklang’s “new direction” is braced with more than a sliver of caution. Thankfully ‘Modern Drift’ still holds some of the band’s magic, particularly on the semi-hypnotic closing moments and the subtle interweaving of strings, but because of the more expansive production the track feels like a decided effort to head into more mainstream waters. While the new artwork still has the imaginative intrigue and ability to excite that’s unique to Efterklang, on the music front let’s hope they’ve merely chosen a weak opening single and that the rest of the album ignites our speakers a whole lot more than ‘Modern Drift’ does.
Words: Lisa Hughes
