Pitchfork

Tripper is the debut full-length by the 10-piece Danish ensemble Efterklang, a band whose name translates literally to "after-noise" but more loosely to "reverberation" or "remembrance." All of these translations are in one way or another appropriate descriptors for the wondrous music created by the group, which settles beautifully into an open area somewhere between the elegant minimalist orchestrations of Max Richter, the electronically-enhanced chamber music of Rachel's albums like Systems/Layers, and the more contemplative moments of Godspeed! You Black Emperor.

The most obvious characteristic that separates Efterklang from these other artists is their extensive use of vocals to augment their spacious orchestral sound. The band regularly alternates between male and female lead vocals, and on many tracks it also employs a full Greenlandic choir. In addition, the band's roster now includes the trumpeter Kristina Schjelde, as well as Hildur Arsaelsdottir and Edda Run Olafsdottir from Iceland's Amina string quartet, who have also performed with Sigur Ros. The cumulative weight of these collected voices and players is considerable, imbuing even the group's most fragile melodies with an astonishing degree of dramatic authority.

Each track on Tripper is constructed meticulously from the ground up, with a base carpeting of electronically generated beats and effects providing the connective tissue between Efterklang's frequent slow-burning crescendos. On numbers like "Swarming" or the exquisite "Collecting Shields", every element of sound is patiently introduced in sequence, allowing the listener to become familiar with each layer before subsequent waves of instrumentation arrive to crash and roil. On busier tracks, like album closer "Chapter 6", electronic and acoustic elements are integrated less cautiously, resulting in jarring sonic leaps that occasionally require strenuous listening but can prove enthralling if you're willing to put in the concentrative effort.

Although most lyrics I can catch seem to be sung in English, I've only been able to pick up on every third word or so, and I'm unable to say what exactly these songs are about. Efterklang's extensive and strategic use of silence, partnered with their recurrent instrumental swells and surges will surely prompt many comparisons to Sigur Ros, and at their best the group is able to fleetingly capture something of the same dream-like, nebulous yearning that has made albums like Agaetis Byrjun or ( ) so endlessly compelling.

Though Tripper was a full year in the making-- and the members of Efterklang have obviously given their full attention to even the smallest detail-- the album is not over-composed to the point of sterility. Perhaps it's a credit to the sheer number of cooks in the kitchen, but even with this music's grand scale each song is allowed enough space to be able to breathe on its own. And with their vibrant, continually evolving arrangements, Efterklang here ensures that, as their name implies, this music should continue to reverberate in your memory for a long time to come.