Beloved Elk are back and moodier than ever with a second EP Peace Offering. Between their debut and sophomore releases, the Melbourne rockers have been busy at work touring Australia, songwriting, and minimalising their live set-up to be the simple two-piece band that they are today.
It’s clear upon listening to their recent release that the duo have grown immensely in the past year. There’s been a shift from borrowing music to creating and diversifying their own, resulting in the Melbourne act’s self-proclaimed ‘anti-folk’ sound.
The collection of five tracks on Peace Offering showcases the band’s dynamic musical style. ‘Beehive’ exhibits a fantastic range of intensities, while ‘Xavier’ displays their own talented style of post-rock.
The lyrics are, at times, hard-hitting and coated in emotion, such as “I’ve got a hole in my gut that I can’t fill up” from ‘Can’t Fill Up’ and “They worry so hard, they don’t care for anyone around them” in ‘Tired Of’.
Although the lush, varied instrumentation that features on their debut EP Hemispheres isn’t offered on Peace Offering, it is remedied with layered guitar and synthesised bass wherever necessary.
The attention to detail that went into the development of this release is prominent. Whether to carry the tune or to retain emotion, each note seems to have a strategic role in every song.
It’s easy to get carried away with this five-track EP. If you find yourself hitting ‘repeat’, don’t be surprised.
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