Like adolescents changing their outward appearance and inward thinking as part of their search for their identity, Elliot Brood have elected to shift their musical consciousness and plug in their guitars for their third full-length release, Days Into Years. It is a bit of a curious decision seeing as how Mountain Meadows, which was firmly rooted in the roots, was short-listed for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize. Whatever the reason for the change, the result is a record that is almost unrecognisable as an Elliot Brood disc. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is almost definitely a Canadian thing.

Days Into Years firmly asserts its presence in the Canadian alt.country landscape, joining the likes of Blue Rodeo or The Sadies. There is both an upside and downside to this divergence from their previous efforts. On the positive side of things, Days Into Years is a comfortable listen quite typical of Canadian alt.country bands. Mostly subdued guitars aimed at gently moving the music onward combine with minor tones in the arrangements and folky melodies in the vocals. It’s all very mashed potatoes with gravy, inasmuch as pretty much anyone is bound to like it. On the downside, Days Into Years, in common with many albums of the genre, can sometimes feel like an overly comfortable listen. It’s all very nice, but at times, somewhat generic, its move away from organically infused richness into more of a standard rhythm-guitar territory resulting in a slightly-bland formula of the kind that – speaking from the perspective of a Canadian now living “across the pond” – seems to work quite well in Canada.

For all the change ups, Elliot Brood are still at their best when they craft songs that can be played on the back porch with no amplification needed. It just so happens that two of the stand-out tracks showcasing their gorgeous acoustic arrangements are featured back to back on the album. ‘West End Sky’ is a stripped-down tune featuring an unhurried banjo that playfully guides the acoustic guitars into a unified circle. Inspired by Canada’s vastness, ‘Northern Air’ offers some fantastic imagery while celebrating the stillness and loneliness of life in small town Canada. The steel guitar offers a slow and sweeping element reflective of the pace of life in the North. ‘If I Get Old’ is a track that should have been presented with a less-is-more aesthetic. It is a contemplative song inspired by the band’s visit to a Canadian war memorial in France. Once again, the storytelling comes through brilliantly as the song offers a sense of perseverance in the face of difficulty: “If I get old I’m living easy/Find a nice old country home/Let the land do what she wants to/Leave her wild and overgrown”.

If you are new to Elliott Brood, this album will happily wrap a steady alt.country blanket with very few peaks and valleys around you. If you are a fan of the band’s earlier work, you will cling to the acoustic pieces with lyrics pertaining to peaks and valleys. In a sense, there is something for everyone on this record and it is rather exciting to see the identity of a band toggled back and forth, on the same release. Like with most adolescents, however, you do end up hoping that at some point they will unplug that electric guitar and get back to their roots. Quite simply, Elliott Brood are at their best with a ukulele in hand.

Listen to Days Into Years