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Nov 5, 2015Elaenia flits, swoops and soars beautifully, impossible to pin down, let alone cage.
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Nov 9, 2015Elaenia is fated to become one of those albums that inspires ritualistic listening parties held by small groups of audiophiles. That shouldn't be held against it.
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Nov 3, 2015It's a record best heard loud, because the quiet parts can be very quiet, and its spirit lies less in melodies or even moods than in tiny details.
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Dec 22, 2015Until the release of this album, Shepherd’s output might have proved hard to follow for the casual listener, comprising as it did sundry white label releases, one-offs and remixes. Fortunately, Elaenia acts as a brilliant encapsulation of a huge talent.
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Nov 17, 2015Of all albums this year, Elaenia is one that could be--probably will be--discussed for some time. It’s as impressive and rewarding as you want to be.
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Nov 11, 2015The songs on Elaenia sound closer to psychedelic jazz and post-rock, and feel more like improvised jam sessions than carefully sequenced electronic music. It's a risky strategy, but the gamble pays off big.
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Nov 10, 2015Shepherd's flawless Eglo catalogue had the power to coax his followers off the dance floor with him, and Elaenia's sophisticated sense of musical accomplishment ought to keep them there.
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Nov 9, 2015All the nerding-out is secondary to the emotional pull exerted by these creeping, tickling and soaring tracks.
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Nov 6, 2015It is a salve, and a beautiful, mysterious thing, which doesn’t necesarily need to be anything more than a beautiful, mysterious thing, however many hours of labour and technical nous have been spent crafting it.
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Nov 6, 2015This is intelligent dance music (with no capital letters)--clever and warm, sophisticated and joy
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Nov 4, 2015Shepherd is among London's most sought-after DJs, known for marathon sets that span everything from disco's deepest cuts to feel-good hip-hop. But here he steps away from those club sounds in favor of a fully immersive experience that's unbounded by genre.
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Nov 4, 2015What makes his debut so appealing is that Shepherd never sounds too rigidly loyal to any genre or sound, making Elaenia a fascinating and confident debut from a tenured rookie.
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Nov 3, 2015Eleania demands focus, too, but pay attention to it and you'll be rewarded.
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Nov 2, 2015As Shepherd’s confidence grows in his compositions, he gives each element of the song enough time to stand on its own, without the bells and whistles of the Ensemble’s (slightly more) enormous orchestra.
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Q MagazineOct 28, 2015An astonishing cohesive record. [Dec 2015, p.107]
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UncutOct 28, 2015Much here, like the outstanding "Silhouettes (I, II & III)," sits elegantly in a progressive tradition that draws on Teo Macero's collage work on In A Silent Way, David Axelrod's string arrangements, and Four Tet's own "Thirtysixtwentyfive." [Dec 2015, p.71]
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Oct 28, 2015Elaenia is one of those rare albums that crosses genres and audiences with ease due in thanks to the sheer craft that's gone into its seven tracks.
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Oct 28, 2015[An] extraordinary beautiful debut. [Dec 2015, p.87]
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Nov 4, 2015Elaenia stands out as a remarkably assured debut album from an artist who took his time putting it together.
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Nov 4, 2015The album is not without its flaws, mostly coming from the disappointing length and one filler track. The record only lasts seven songs, and with the flood of ideas that Shepherd clearly brings to the table, it’s a damn shame we don’t have more time in his world.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 29 out of 30
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Mixed: 0 out of 30
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Negative: 1 out of 30
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Jan 31, 2016
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Mar 9, 2022Very good album, i definitely recommend it to everyone loving this type of music.