- Record Label: Orange Twin
- Release Date: Oct 14, 2008
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
The band gives a rootsy, gently spacey and slightly eccentric lift to Chesnutt’s songs, like a straightforward late-'60s folk group that’s been turned on to electric rock and become both more playful and more soulful.
-
Fans of Chesnutt, Elf Power, or smart and adventurous pop music in general should put this one on their shopping lists.
-
It's evidence of a powerful songwriter honing his artistry.
-
Alternative PressThough written and recorded quickly, it's hard to imagine how these tracks could have been improved on, as they effortlessly cover a wide musical expanse. [Jan 2008, p.124]
-
As a backing mini-orchestra, Elf Power and the Strums may not be as inventive as Lambchop or as dark as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, but they give Chesnutt just want he needs: a relaxed and less rehearsed environment.
-
Chesnutt’s vocals never intimidate, and Elf Power’s accompaniments and choral tongues are tasteful, careful not to overpower the vocals while innately aware how important the supporting cast is in shaping the overall mood.
-
Under The RadarLike all successful collaborations, Dark Developments plays beautifully to the strengths of both parties. [Winter 2008]
-
Dark Developments is another remarkably fine album from a musician who has been around doing what he does so long that he’s often unjustly neglected.
-
Its gloom scuffs up the mostly sparkly and shiny Dark Developments, making it seem more akin to similar meditations on Ghetto Bells and North Star Deserter, yet its presence amidst the bouncier material is welcome, and demonstrates that the collaboration has the capacity to strike more than one note, and the potential to be more than your average side project or lark.