Where The Power Out seemed a hyper-literate record, what with its lyrics borrowed from Nietzsche, Juan Boscón and Siegfried Sassoon, Axes is a mostly instrumental affair in which only five of the thirteen tracks feature vocals.
The record is a little self-indulgent at times - be honest, that second last song isn't actually a song, gals, it actually doesn't deserve its own track or title; and the eighth song, "Business or Otherwise," is salvaged by pretty, though, unfortunately, intermittent melodies.
Furthermore, despite the more than capable Steve Albini engineering the whole affair, the record, as with The Power Out, sounds a little lifeless compared to their live show.
However, these are two relatively minor criticisms of what is otherwise a pretty spectacular album, and there are plenty of highlights across the disc to make, I believe, Axes stronger than its predecessor.
The choir, for example, from "The Valleys" makes a welcome return on the melancholic "I Keep Losing Heart" and the epic "Suitcase."
The slow build up of "Those Packets Are People" and its transition into "The Partisan," a cover, is as rocking and exciting as anything Electrelane has ever done.
The highlights, however, are easily "Eight Steps" with its gypsy-ish recurring piano motif (doesn't 'motif' suggest recursion?) and the skronky sax and freight train samples of "Gone Darker."
The songs that do contain vocals always vaguely remind me of Stereolab but are still excellent songs in their own right. In fact, they, too, are probably some of the best Electrelane have written.
Axes was definitely one of the best albums released last year and is well-worth picking up.
Also, whilst mostly completely irrelevant, the artwork on Axes is sombre and beautiful.
in the eyes of the lord, we're authority's servants
Reviewed on Wednesday, 3 May 2006