Side projects rarely offer anything other than self-indulgence. They are, by their definition, an indulgent endeavour, an opportunity for an artist to delve into ideas and concepts that they wouldn’t be able to within the confines of their band or main musical project. While these side projects can be fun, it’s hard to shake off the nagging notion that you’re listening to Band X’s singer’s studio meanderings, not a fully-formed piece of music ready to be appreciated on its own terms. EL VY suffer this problem more than most, given that the group’s vocalist is Matt Berninger, the inimitable singer of indie superstars the National. Naturally, the group do everything they can to make their debut, Return to the Moon, sound anything like the National (or any of the projects that multi-instrumentalist Brent Knopf has been in). An admirable notion, for sure, but it makes for a frustratingly flat record in the end.
While Berninger’s distinct baritone remains intact on Return to the Moon, the part he plays is less of a well-dressed merchant of gloom and more of a lounge singer. The album is decidedly relaxed, eschewing grandiose drama for smooth, sinewy synthpop. Knopf’s synths and guitar are pleasant — if a little dull — and fit Berninger’s lounge act perfectly. Curiously, while Berninger’s voice and demeanor seem chilled out, his lyrics decidedly aren’t.
After the release of EL VY’s first single, Berninger noted that the lyrics for Return to the Moon were autobiographical in nature. What he lays out isn’t really a tell-all about his life so much as it is a musical biography, though. It’s laid plain in the song titles: “Return to the Moon (Political Song for Didi Bloome to Sing, With Crescendo)” arrives with even more overt Minutemen references than its title, and “Paul Is Alive” concerns itself not only with the myths behind the former Beatle’s passing, but also the Smiths and Cramps songs that provided a soundtrack to his younger days. Sadly, Berninger doesn’t seem to feel much about these days in his life beyond the fact that they happened and that he was younger then and he misses being young. Between that, the oversexed, awful “I’m the Man to Be,” and the half-assed attempts at “rocking out” that pop up near the record’s end, Return to the Moon is less of an album than it is a midlife crisis put to tape.
Ironically, the album’s quieter, sadder moments work the best. Album closer “Careless” may sound quite familiar to National fans, but it’s also one of the few moments where Berninger’s and Knopf’s sensibilities really match, with acoustic guitars drawing attention to Berninger’s crisp, measured vocal performance. “No Time to Crank the Sun” offers another highlight with its slow build of keyboards and electronics sounds that create a tense sense of progression.
Too often, though, Return to the Moon seems stuck in place. It’s as if Berninger and Knopf are too relaxed for their own good; the album feels more tossed off than anything else. The fact that some of these songs do work and that the duo generally have clear ideas only makes the album more frustrating to listen to. Even at their best, EL VY just leave you wishing that you could have had more.