"Elf Power" is, really, a pretty unfortunate band name. It brings to mind images of groups of nerds deciding to form a band to fill in the time between their Dungeons & Dragons sessions. I realise this probably reflects badly on myself, since that infernal game was the first thing I thought of when I saw the name of the band, but given the fact that I'm going to be putting this on the Internet, I figure I'm not the only one who is going to jump to that conclusion. Fortunately though, Elf Power don't compose ballads about finding the Battleaxe of Haste +3, instead, they are an indie pop band that compose bright, happy pop songs that have very little to do with fighting goblins.

After a quick listen to "Walking With The Beggar Boys", it's no surprise to learn that this band is affiliated with the infamous Elephant 6 collective. The same whimsical approach that bands like Neutral Milk Hotel and Of Montreal take is recreated here, complete with the mid-song divergences, and the bizarre, borderline nonsensical lyrics. The main difference is that while previous Elf Power records served the Elephant 6 faithful, wearing their lo-fi production and peculiarity like badges of honour, on this album the band has shed a lot of that and concentrated on creating a much more standard indie pop record.

The result of this change in aesthetic is an album that partially pays off, but too often sounds like it's stuck between trying to appeal to long-time followers of the band, and capture new fans closer to the mainstream. The result is a couple of great songs in either direction; some hyper-accessible pop songs, and some psychedelic exercises in surreal songwriting, and a bucket load of muddled-sounding songs that could go either way.

Of the better tracks, opener Never Believe deserves to be mentioned. It's an almost perfect slice of pop rock, with rolling percussion, squealing lead guitar, and sing-along vocals delivered to perfection by Andrew Rieger. Also worth noting is The Cracks, a noisy rock song that sounds nothing like Elf Power, but still manages to be compelling with its base of eerie keyboard noise, robotic percussion, and seemingly random avalanches of samples. Even if you don't actually like the song, you have to admit that it's pretty creative, and the most original thing on this album.

Unfortunately, not all of the songs on the album are as good as those two. The title track, for instance, starts well, but it's butchered by a ridiculously overblown guitar solo inserted in precisely the wrong spot. Drawing Flies combines a heavy, distorted chorus with light, folky guitarwork during the verses. While each piece on its own is fine, when you put them together, it sounds awkward and disjointed.

Really, "awkward and disjointed" is the best way to describe this album. There are certainly some great songs on here, but their impact is lessened by the fact that they're outnumbered by clumsy and inelegant tracks. In trying to write music for a wider audience, Elf Power have unfortunately shot themselves in the foot, and produced a record that just doesn't have the appeal of their earlier work.