In the end, Buono stepped back to allow the accumulated talent to do the talking. Becoming less of a creative leader of the project as the conductor shaping its potential into its best form. A communal form of songwriting which throws ego out at the door and instead pushes every available element towards its highest potential.

With lyrics and vocals from Kristin Slipp (Dirty Projectors), single ‘Alone Under The Water’ is a perfect place to dive into this singular achievement. It is also a great illustration of just how much influence the cast of collaborators had in moulding the album. “This is the first song to get lyrics,” Buono describes. “Until then, I thought this would be a collection of instrumentals. Had singer/lyricist Kristin Slipp not agreed to collaborate, this record may not have happened.”

Today I touched my leg
Touched my own leg to see if I was still alive
Touched my neck to see if my heart was still beating
I know what it is
I know

And this was the case across the record. Take the comparatively up-tempo ‘Recent Mineral’. With Portuguese lyrics written by Ricardo Dias Gomes and sung by Genevieve Artadi, the song feels very different from the others. A shifting electro pop made dark and surreal with the drawl of distorted guitar. But there are also forays into downtempo electronica (‘Sweet Magnet’) and abrasive experimental post punk (‘Owned By Lust’), not to mention the krautrock-cum-darkwave of ‘She Lays on a Leaf’.

“For this song, I asked Nels to imagine John McLaughlin playing the opening guitar solo on ‘Mother Sky’ by Can,” says Buono of the latter’s inception. “[And] I love how co-producer John Herndon synthesized the solo to sound like I don’t know what.” What’s remarkable is how this genre-bending and collaboration just works. It’s bold and complex but also intuitive and cohesive, navigating what could be abrupt hairpin turns into different styles with smooth and stylish ease.

elvis, he was Schlager is out on the 23rd February via Otherly Love Records and you can pre-order it now from the Church Chords Bandcamp page.

Photo by Matthew Gribben

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With is slow unfurling, lead single ‘Rodeo’ serves as the ideal entry point for the album. The song starts with a relatively modest sound, the sparse arrangement of guitar and bass around the vocals sounding almost hesitant. But it soon blossoms with an increasing tempo and the arrival of additional vocals, eventually culminating in a big noisy crescendo. The gradual builds speaks to the track’s themes too, where understanding is gained not as some lightning strike epiphany but the slow process of trial and error.

“‘Rodeo’ is a song about feeling like you’re on the brink of gratification, but something is standing in your way,” as the band explain. “Sometimes that very block is your own fear—fear of being yourself, fear of trying something new, of being unsure your next move. This song is about finding solace in figuring stuff out by yourself while simultaneously coming to terms with and accepting feelings of loneliness as familiar.”

Artwork by Margaret Barry

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