“Ugh” was my first reaction in August upon hearing The National’s Matt Berninger was releasing an album, Return to the Moon, with a side project called EL VY. I don’t have anything against side projects and I love Berninger, but the first single, “Return to the Moon (Political Song for Didi Bloome to Sing, With Crescendo),” just didn’t feel right.
It felt wrong for Berninger’s brooding, dramatic vocals to be featured on sunny guitar and keys with peppy drums rather than its typical place on The National’s dark, moody instrumentation.
Young Thug’s latest mixtape showcases his ingenuity, but might get a bit too creative
Now, though, I’m willing to admit my first impression was wrong. “Return to the Moon,” and the 10 songs that accompany it on the album by the same name, are solid at worst, and at best carefully crafted and excellently-executed pop songs. The other half of the duo, Brent Knopf, brings some great melodies and excellent sounds to the table for Berninger to sing on.
Among the best of the songs is the second track, “I’m the Man to Be.” With a strutting, crunchy guitar, Berninger plays the part of what he calls “the pathetic, self-aggrandizing rocker alone in a hotel room.”
Perhaps it’s autobiographical, but Berninger plays the part well. Whether drying his tears with his Louis Vuitton tie, complaining the belt’s too tight or awkwardly answering the door for room service, Berninger comically and deftly portrays a rock star stereotype.
“Happiness, Missouri” registers as one of the stronger tracks on the album. Sinister and ominous, the track chugs through its two minutes and one second.
Mixed in with the entertaining, well-done songs are a roughly equal amount of more boring, forgettable tracks. Especially on the back half of the album, songs like “It’s a Game,” “Sleepin’ Light” and “Sad Case” aren’t notable in any way and feel more like filler on an album.
The last, and weakest, song on the album, “Careless,” sounds like an off-brand, second-rate The National song. EL VY would have been well served by trimming the tracklist and releasing a six or seven song LP.
The best songs, such as the aforementioned “Silent Ivy Hotel” and “Paul is Alive,” feature Berninger on tracks he would never get to sing with The National. That’s one of the best parts of this project — hearing Berninger in unique musical situations. His adaptability is a testament to his musicianship and skill.
Up-and-coming MisterWives can’t wait to spend ‘insane holiday in insane city’
Evocative, at times abstract, lyrics are one biproduct from The National that pack a punch.
“Bought a saltwater fish from a color blind witch / Cause she said she loved it / Couldn’t tell her the part that would break her heart / But it loved me,” Berninger sings in “Return to the Moon.”
In “Silent Ivy Hotel,” he ponders: “Still don’t really know you very well / How long have you been coming here? / To the Silent Ivy Hotel.”
The best parts of Berninger’s lyrics from The National — the emotiveness, yearning and abstractness — translate well to the album without feeling too similar.
Ultimately, though, it’s a disservice to EL VY to only compare their output to that of Knopf and Berninger’s past bands. While bloated in places, Return to the Moon stands on its own and deserves to be compared to indie pop like itself. And when compared that way, it stacks up rather favorably.
