Aloha practically sum up their new album with the line "your sunrise knocks me to the ground." Hell, that could describe songwriter Tony Cavallario's imagination and career trajectory, too-- his characters occasionally emerge from the shadows, make a small ripple, then retreat. Acres is Aloha's first full-length since 2006's Some Echoes, and it picks up where that album left off: tales of anti-social sadsacks set to a pristine mix of Chicago indie-prog and late-90s emo. Though he's still trying to figure out how to pen a memorable chorus, Cavallario's melodies are sharper than ever here, and they're again ably fleshed out by engineer T.J. Lipple and Chad Clark. It won't knock you down, but at a few points, Acres is the best stuff they've ever done.
The key to enjoying an Aloha record is to hone in on the sounds and textures as much as the stories. With that in mind, Acresprovides plenty of subtle rewards. The dizzy organ under the refrain of "I'm in Trouble", the Hail to the Thief-style rumbling bass/guitar of opener "Building a Fire", the processed guitar tone of "Everything Goes My Way", Cale Parks' off-the-chains drumming and trademark marimba-- they all reward repeat headphone listening. Yet at the same time, Cavallario's able to push the band out into the light like never before. The jangly power-pop of standout "Searchlight" and the propulsive "Cold Storage" are as catchy as the band is typically rhythmically potent, and they rank amongst the top tier of the group's catalog.
Yet this is still an Aloha record, and certain things about the music aren't ever going to change. It's important to note that the "pop" moments here aren't going to make you forget Big Star; instead, they sound vibrant amongst a stark, occasionally oppressive atmosphere. Simply skimming through song titles and the dark cover art previews Cavallario's basic dark/light dichotomy-- along with "Searchlight", there's "Blackout", "White Wind", and Moonless March". It's made clear if you read the lyric sheet that his poetic point is to create a sense of confusion and disorder about the relative value of the private and the public. With Home Acres, Aloha themselves have come out of hiding again, and showed that, just maybe, a little more sunlight might do them some good.
