(Rykodisc) www.rykodisc.com

With guest appearances by Will Cullen Hart and John Fernandes of the Olivia Tremor Control and reclusive former Neutral Milk Hotel guru Jeff Mangum, this may read like a class reunion of some of the original Elephant 6 bands. But make no mistake about it, this is undiluted Elf Power, the hardy, Athens-based band of folk-rockers led by Andrew Rieger. And that means—from the Byrds-worthy folk-rock of "Softly Through The Void," the Celtic drone of "The New Mythology," or coming down "The Spiral Stairs" with the end of the world in your eyes—this stuff rocks like no E6 combo not called the Apples In Stereo. Rieger, keyboardist Laura Carter and a revolving cast have been doing Elf Power for over 10 years, and everything they've released has been first-rate. If the song titles bring on an attack of Dungeons & Dragons DT's, rest assured, it's a false alarm.

Standout tracks: "Softly Through The Void," "The Spiral Stairs" JUD COST