Elephant Stone - Ship Of Fools

Eine Band, die sich nach einem Song benannt hat (The Stone Roses, 1988), bringt ein Album heraus, welches nach einem Song (wahlweise Erasure, 1988, oder World Party, 1987) betitelt ist. Klingt wenig inspiriert, reicht aber im veröffentlichungsschwachen Dezember für einen Platz in unseren Top Ten der sehnlichst erwarteten Schallplatten und zeigt die Band auf musikalisch veränderten Wegen.

Rishi Dhir (Gesang, Bass, Sitar, Keyboards), Miles Dupire (Schlagzeug) und Gabriel Lambert (Gitarre) öffnen ihren Retro-Rock für tanzbare Beats und Grooves. Manchmal möchte man dem Trio aus Montreal zurufen: Madreal, rave on!

Wie einst in Manchester wird der Psychedelic Rock der 60er und 70er Jahre mit Grooves unterlegt ("Cast In The Fire") oder sogar ein Abstecher in die Disco unternommen ("Love Is Like A Spinning Wheel"), dazu kommen einerseits für Elephant Stone unerwartet poppige Synth-Klänge ("See The Light") und andererseits die vorhersehbaren Sitar- und Tabla-Klänge, jedoch in deutlich reduziertem Maße und auf der zweiten Plattenhälfte ("Run, Sister, Run", "The Devil's Shelter", "Silence Can Say So Much"). Freunden von Kasabian, Beady Eye und Tame Impala sei "Ship Of Fools" empfohlen, ich persönlich favorisiere jedoch eher die drei vorherigen Alben von Elephant Stone. 

The overall vibe is mellower than before, and even when the songs kick some ass it’s with more of a ‘70s funk slap than a ‘60s rock punch, for example on “Cast the First Stone” and “Where I’m Going”. One truly welcome introduction is the infusion of some R&B, such as the swamp blues twang in “Manipulator” and the various blasts of female vocals in all their soul glory. However, only “The Devil’s Shelter” really knocks your socks off the way Rishi Dhir and the boys did on ‘The Three Poisons’.
Of course, it’s not all about rocking out, and the band can still fuck with your mind on the mid-tempo stuff, especially when Dhir goes heavy on the Indian influence, as he does in “Silence Can Say So Much”. Unfortunately, things get a little too mellow when “See the Light” and “Love is Like a Spinning Wheel” wander into yacht rock territory, with the overall effect being of bringing down the pace of the entire album.
It is true that what Elephant Stone lack in electric muscle they make up for in rhythm and groove, but that may not be quite enough for hard set fans of their previous outings.
(Ride The Tempo)

Picture Death From Above 1979 melded with Beck and Big Data. That’s what Elephant Stone sounds like to me and with their newest release, Ship of Fools. The Montreal-based band returns with some groovy, pop jams that fans of the aforementioned bands will surely dig. (...)
Writing music reviews can occasionally push you out of your comfort zone, but with Ship of Fools, I’ve found a band that combines all my favourite music styles into one awesome, locally-grown audio trip that I’ll be purchasing upon its release. The music is catchy, expertly produced, and is varied enough to keep your interest from start to finish. Now, that’s what I call a winner.
(Bucket List)