Ringing for the Begin Again

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It's a rare occurrence when one comes across an avant-garde album that is as accessible and easy to absorb as it is as abstract, quirky, eccentric, and left-of-center. But Elfin Saddle's Ringing for the Begin Again is such a rarity. This 2009 recording has an immediacy that one doesn't find with a lot of avant-garde discs; Elfin Saddle, for all their abstraction and strangeness, pull the listener in immediately with their musicality and their appealing sense of groove. Ringing for the Begin Again is not an easy album to categorize; perhaps the best, most accurate description would be "avant-garde folk-rock with a strong world music influence." Jordan McKenzie and Emi Honda, the Canadian residents who comprise Elfin Saddle, wear different hats; the long list of instruments on this CD includes the accordion, the xylophone, the ukulele, the banjo, the acoustic guitar, and various percussion instruments. The male/female duo shares the vocals; Honda (who is originally from Japan) sings in Japanese while McKenzie sings in English. And even though Honda gives Ringing for the Begin Again a lot of Asian appeal, there are plenty of European influences as well — for example, the Celtic influence on "Hammer Song" and the East European gypsy influence on "The Procession." And much to Honda and McKenzie's credit, this excellent release sounds focused — not random or thrown together. As many chances as Honda and McKenzie take, it's clear that they went into the studio with a game plan and a sense of purpose. If Elfin Saddle's goal is to deliver albums that are boldly experimental yet very easy to get into on the first listen, they should consider Ringing for the Begin Again a major success.