Dark Developments

A tuneful collision of Athens institutions finds fruition this fall when Orange Twin releases Vic Chesnutt's collaboration with Elephant 6 originals Elf Power. As intriguing as this combination may seem for hardcore fans of either act, the final sonic results reveal a daunting sum much greater than even the involvement of such esteemed parts would imply. The Elves' lived-in dexterity as a live band goads Chesnutt's vocal delivery to a menacing new muscularity, imbuing this batch of songs with a sinister vibe not dissimilar to John Cale's black classic Fear, the harsh & articulate sleaze of Lou Reed's Street Hassle, or the defeated low-key soul music of Nick Lowe's last few records. Chesnutt's songwriting retains its trademark literary bent--central songs carry the narrative weight, sturdy construction, and lexical mystery of a long lost Raymond Carver story. And as he woos you with his squelched, beautiful melodies, his sonic turns-in-the road take an even stranger tack with the aid of psych-pop veterans Elf Power. Recorded over the course of a winter by Vic Chesnutt and Derek Almstead in Chesnutt's own attic studio, Dark Developments revels in the intimate, home-recorded atmosphere you'd expect from an Athenian union like this. Elf Power's tripped-out pop smarts provide the contradictory musical notions that never allow the album to sway too far in one bleak direction or another: it's that friction extant between Chesnutt's shadowy worldview and the inventive bounce and bray of the band's joyful chemistry that buoys the album, provides freshness, and makes for highly rewarding repeated listening. Dark Developments stands as a classic addition to the legendary local pantheon.