Danish vocalist: U.S. 'big,' but it lacks real bread
By Kevin W. Smith
KSMITH@AZSTARNET.COM
If you go
• What: Efterklang in concert, with Slaraffenland and Saint Rorschach.
• When: 9:30 p.m. Friday.
• Where: Plush, 340 E. Sixth St.
• Cost: $7.
• More info: efterklang.net and plushtucson.com.
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When visiting a foreign land, there could be some homespun comforts you miss.
These things include family, pets and girlfriends.
All Casper Clausen wanted were some brown or black loaves.
"I'm missing real bread," said the vocalist for Denmark's dream-soundtrack engineers Efterklang.
Talking from Salt Lake City, he said "big" when asked about his first impressions of America.
His group is described in similar terms overseas, with Efterklang spilling out fantastically layered sounds somewhere between Sigur Rós, Stars, Arcade Fire and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.
"Efterklang, live and on record, are rarely less than an incredibly moving and inspiring listen," wrote drownedinsound.com.
Buzz for Efterklang seems destined to spike stateside, as the band embarks on its first U.S. tour, stopping at Plush on Friday.
The delay in the American visit was mostly logistical, as Clausen said it is tough to bring an eight-person band (six of them also contribute vocals) across the world.
If you listen to Efterklang's second album, 2007's beautiful and transcendent "Parades," you'll realize it needs every body it can get onstage.
Without a full orchestra and choir, Clausen says, it's impossible to precisely re-create certain songs on "Parades" in concert.
"They're more like symphonies," he said.
In order to translate the songs live, some of the tunes have been reworked from the core with care, so they're recognizable to fans and manageable for the group.
Along with the added attention to the music's presentation, Clausen said Efterklang tries to release as much positive energy into the room as possible.
"We really want people to be 'in it,' " he said. "We want them to feel that they are actually standing in front of a band that wants to play for them, and not just playing one more concert. We really want to make it special."
Clausen said the music of Efterklang isn't something that serves as background noise.
"It doesn't work that well when people are shouting at the bar," he said. "We manage, but. . . ."
If you go
• What: Efterklang in concert, with Slaraffenland and Saint Rorschach.
• When: 9:30 p.m. Friday.
• Where: Plush, 340 E. Sixth St.
• Cost: $7.
• More info: efterklang.net and plushtucson.com.
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