This Danish quintet debuted in the U.S. in 2007 with Private
Cinema, a well-received brew of proggy post-punk. Although
Slaraffenland had formed in 2001, Cinema belied their experience
by being a little unfocused, veering wildly between styles and lacking
in consistency. The band evinces some growth on We’re on Your
Side, with far sharper songs and a tighter instrumental approach.
The band is nothing if not ambitious: “Too Late to Think” incorporates
a krautrock-lite arrangement with an interesting horn chart, and the
bouncy “Postcard” proves that there are some mid-’90s post-rock fans in
Copenhagen. Instrumentally, there’s a lot to like in complex numbers
like “Hunting” and the excellent “Long Gone.” The problem is the band’s
over-reliance on gang vocals. Instead of one member assuming frontman
duties, the entire quintet shouts along on every song. Eventually, the
effect is tiresome and often misplaced, with tracks like the midtempo
“Stars and Smiles” practically begging for a singular voice. All that
hollering is the downfall of this otherwise fine album. No one likes to
be yelled at. — Chris Drabick
This article appears in Sep 16-22, 2009.
