Elder Reflect

Philadelphia's Elder hasn't been around for that long (and, on a side note, should not be confused with the Boston stoner trio that goes by the same moniker), but there are a pair of reasons why the band has avoided some of those often lackluster early steps that can accompany new projects. First, the band includes members from acts Balboa and Towers, two very capable anchors of the modern screamo genre (side note number two: Towers' Full Circle from 2009 was a hell of a record thanks to its own experimental wanderings). Second, they are without a doubt students of the genre, well-versed in the methods by which the likes of Pg.99, Majority Rule, and City of Caterpillar architected their own brands of sonically expansive screamo. This makes every songwriting move on Reflect feel like a preconceived decision -- not cold and calculated, but perfectly planned to both show their appreciation for the style, yet also expand upon it in a previously uncharted way. At its core, Elder's style focuses on sweeping song structures and warm, reverb-soaked melodies. Though their song lengths vary, the band members are at their best when given at least five minutes of airtime to wind in and out of swelling textures, all while never losing sight of the power that a three-piece locking into a monolithic chord progression can wield. Closing track, "Remember These Days," displays such instrumental versatility as it careens from a frantic, traditional screamo start into a sparse midsection laden with feedback and anchored by an ominous bass line. The remaining minutes are a precise build, ending in a climactic chanting of the track's title. The other piece of Elder's puzzle is best heard in "Niños," a six and a half minute tune occupying the record's second slot. After offering two minutes of carefully developed melody, the three-piece launches into a section displaying their secret weapon: anthemic choruses with coarse, catchy vocals à la Small Brown Bike. "Friendly Fire" falls even closer to the post-hardcore category, thanks to a thick punk bass line and some of the record's most passionate vocal lines. With these highly memorable vocals, Elder has managed to add an extra layer of melody to a sound that is almost always appended with monotone screams. What's the only drawback when listening to Reflect? Unfortunately, it's only six tracks long and clocks in under twenty-four minutes. While using the length of a record as a legitimate criticism is certainly debatable, what isn't up for debate is the high level of damage that Elder could do given forty-five or fifty minutes on a full-length. I'd love to see these tracks expanded upon and fully fleshed out in the context of an album, an environment in which this band's going to truly show its aptitude and understanding of the finer points of the musical style. But for now, this is some pretty great stuff. Bottom Line: If you took the passionate soundscapes and energy of "classic" screamo bands like Pg.99, Majority Rule, and City of Caterpillar and mixed in some stellar vocal melodies in the vein of Small Brown Bike, the result would be Elder's Reflect. Kudos to these dudes for their intelligent addition to the world of screamo.