EF

'Moments Of Momentum' for the giant syrupy piano intro, long rise with some vocals immersed in the air; dreamlike spleen. 'Wolves, Obey!' on a heavy syncopated bass line, violin then ethereal vocals and a catchy alternative rock title with trumpets in the background. 'Hymn Of...' sounds aptly titled; the post in all its state, mounted, strident guitar notes and mounted to their climax, soft voice in cut, orgasmic choirs and military trumpet with its drums; screaming finale. 'Nio' for the solemn piano interlude, saving rest before 'Leuven' ethereal spatial atmosphere, ultimate spleen, between melancholy and disappointed hope, musical beauty. 'Apricity' and the original voice, female and male on an organ for rest; we touch the Sigur Ros here to bring tranquility, travel, relaxation; the present horn gives a moment of wisdom; it starts with a Mexican western air then the sound comes back in an intense finale before falling gently. 'Chambers' catacomb guitar slide introducing vibrating string note; gentle climb, jazzy nightclub break with the trumpet then a second screamed getaway, the violins and other brass instruments add a layer of it until the end in a soothing, meditative decrescendo.

So EF does raw emotional cinematic post-rock, based on musical explosions and the resulting melancholy; they salute us all, us and us for their return by associating "sublime and fragile" inside this album. The pandemic, the confinement will bring them together to give an almost instrumental rock (ah these voices!) Vibrant and hypnotic filled with melancholy nostalgia of the most beautiful effect.

From the opener "Ett", a delicate and melodic piece that reminds me some the first works by EITS, the tracks passes through very different atmospheres in some long pieces full of powerful moments leaded by guitar and keyboards but with some fine chamber arrangements that turns every song into a floating delight.

Perhaps it's an album that you'll enjoy from the first minute, there's no way to deny the inffluences of the most melodic post rock bands from 90 and 2000. However, most of the tracks are rich in textures and nostalgic passages mixed with epic sections, such as in the inspirate "Hello Scotland"and "Tomorrow My Friend...", maybe the most original, elegant and powerful pieces of this album.

I insist: it was a great pleasure to have this tracks running through my ears. Recommended for every melodic post rock fan. 3.5* to me...

For those unawares, Ef isa Swedish band which is as said in Blues Brothers "...both country and western." Which is to say, they do both the big walls of sound and the guitar noodling thing. It's pretty easy to set expectations about them if you know anything about the genre.

I will mind you to note, that the album isn't a total write off after the first two tracks, but it is kind of samey. Freya is a nice mid album break from the prevailing form and Lwa 401 after a little time to gestate does some pretty decent rocking here and there. Fans of the band seem about as ample as any in the post/math genre, and I'm sure they'll like it. If you are already not a fan of the band or the genre I'm sure you'll already know to take a pass.

3 out of five. Good not bad, but nothing special.

Ef's somewhat banally titled Give Me Beauty... Or Give Me Death has one of those album covers that immediately call you to attention. Thankfully it is more than just a pretty box. GMBOGMD... God that's awful acronym, I digress. Give Me Beauty's delicately surreal doves, are perfectly evocative of the sonic treasures which lie within. It is stunningly powerful and stark album which seems at times, light enough to lift you right off your feet and at other times whose driving walls of sound crash on you like the North Atlantic. The opener Ett is I think perhaps the most singularly beautiful track I have in my entire music collection.

This isn't quite a perfect album mind you. The effete singing, which is thankfully not present throughout, is a bit too meek for my tastes and at odds with the uplifting quality of Give Me Beauty. Some parts, are too plain and others too long winded. None of these factors detract from the allure of its better moments though.

This is a great album for quiet moments of solitude and though I've only heard it during the summer strikes me as an album for winter. It's sparse beauty will feel right at home during a bright day in the chill of Calgary winter. Excellent album, 4 out of 5.

For me..Sweden is the greatest prog music factory; band like Anglagard, Moon Safari, and this! I don't know how to convey this sensation. The music is so...so beautiful! Post rock style of guitar, and very cool rhythm section combine with all classical instruments and you get an ultra-romantic, multi-texture, darkly, emotionally build-up and yet simply beautiful piece of music. Unlike some Post rock band, the length of a song so perfect, not too long and not too short. The production, mixing and recording are top notch.

If you love those bands I mentioned above and you enjoy art, you don't wanna miss this one. Not a legendary piece but almost perfect. 4.25 stars. Worth every cent!

Anyway, we have two ambient interludes here ('Soon' and 'Appendix'), three epics that hardly differ from each other ('Tva', 'Bear', 'A Tailpiece') and a wonderful (and rather short) mid-tempo track 'Thrills'. If you're a Post-Rock newbie, I can use a complex formula to describe the style in which EF sounds to me (yes, this is only my subjective opinion, no offence): take EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY and mix it with SIGUR ROS. For those, who get along well with Post-Rock, I'll use another description: IMMANU EL. Yes, EF sounds EXACTLY like their Scandinavian brothers-in-arms IMMANU EL, the same way 'GREGOR SAMSA meets YNDI HALDA' mellow thing, with no darkness thrown in, only pastoral major harmonies and crescendoes, filled with light. But even climaxes are subtle; guys, if you want to make your climaxes more powerful, ask MONO from Japan ;) So, where do we go from here? Cliched and boring Post-Rock, built on standard chord progressions and good old tricks derived from other bands...but this is where mind stops working. If your heart turns on, then any word about EF's (or YNDI HALDA's, or JOHNNYTWENTYTHREE's, you continue!) manner or style is meaningless: you either love this music or hate it. I've found myself somewhere in between: good stuff, but heard many times before; must work on me, but it doesn't; recommended, but beware.