Review Summary: Elemantra, my dear Watson
I first became acquainted with Elemantra through the band’s latest two LPs, 2016’s
Foreign Breath and 2018’s
To Know Better, both of which are rock-solid batches of catch-all indie, simultaneously embracing emo, grunge, and shoegaze.
Only Momentary, meanwhile, represents a new page in Elemantra’s journey, as not only the group’s first studio release in four years, first on a record label (Admirable Traits, for those keeping track), and their first dip in the waters of (nearly) full-fledged shoegaze, specifically the accessible side of that genre.
As a trim six-song EP,
Only Momentary accomplishes everything it sets out to. Indeed, I struggle to come up with any single lens through which one could assess music of this ilk in which Elemantra doesn’t deliver a “good to great to excellent” product. The songs are all at least decently catchy, they deliver the “floaty” sensation which their chosen style demands, the vibes are chill but provide a little emotional kick as well, the production is as good as one would hope on a label debut, etc. There are highlights too, most notably the earworm that is “No Shadow”, the shimmery semi-ballad “Plastic World”, and the roaring guitar solo which brings closer “Truth And Time” to a satisfying finish. If I do have a gripe about
Only Momentary, it’s simply that the band has done better before (a common problem for groups worth their salt). In my case, it’s
To Know Better which still stands as the group’s peak (so far), and I do miss the greater variety which that album displays. In contrast, this latest effort is often sublime, and invariably well-executed, but lacks as much of a sense of distinctiveness.
That nitpick aside,
Only Momentary is a quality work which not only tells the world that Elemantra is still here, but should continue to raise the profile of the band among followers of the shoegaze/dream pop/mellow indie genres. If you have any interest in music fitting those descriptors,
Only Momentary is worth a listen, as I’m sure under twenty-four minutes can be found to spare somewhere. Indeed, you could almost say this EP’s runtime is
only momentary. Regardless, good jams await.
