Chris Rehm – [I found an] Elephant Ring [And gave it to you] 8.2

                Chris Rehm creates narcoleptic pop. These are melodies that barely exist. Yes they are there, waiting for others to find them. Until then the songs simply live in aural fogs, feel rather than completely understood. When Chris sings, the singing becomes much more potent. Having a voice come out of these otherworldly sounds is short of remarkable. Indeed, this is a rather tender, loving album. Chris has the right mix of experimental, folk, and dream pop.

                ‘Honesty is a God’ flickers about. It flashes in and out before it finally disappears. ‘They All Are’ and ‘I can’t feel anything but you anymore’ are rather touching pieces. The latter in particular feels extraordinarily gritty. Chris drops all the hazy effects to deliver a rather straightforward pleading sound on the guitar. I really enjoy the warped childlike hope of ‘I don’t like your friends’. Chris comes up with a strange carousel-like melody. It feels so familiar to me and that’s part of its charm. Reminds me of what hypnagogic pop tries to do so often. Chris succeeds at it. By far the best piece is ‘About Things’. Here Chris mixes together everything from the proceeding tracks into a single mood. He starts it out with basic guitar before it expands into infinity. Gastr Del Sol comes to mind as Chris’s mixture of the new and old is so pitch perfect.

                [I found an] Elephant Ring [And gave it to you] is aptly titled. Whimsy is indicated in the name. Sharing it indicates a joy that this place will always be there. This is a thoroughly comforting, well-rounded piece. Get lost in its clouds of welcoming sound.