In previous releases, and most notable on their last album Parades, Efterklang were an orchestral, searching leftfield wonder. The instrumentation and arrangements straddled something between chamber music, electro and ambient putting them often out of reach of many people. With Magic Chairs they have taken a decided step into more poppy territory. They still utilise a full range of woodwinds, strings and brass, yet here the use of anything synthetic has been largely restrained, and as a result resembles large portions of Sufjan Stevens. In comparison to their previous albums they do lose that element of experimental wonder, and so it may not be their best album, but it is likely to be their most successful.
7/10, out 22 February 2010
Dave Drummond
