The Power Out
| The Power Out | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Electrelane | ||||
| Released | 26 January 2004 | |||
| Recorded | April 2003 – May 2003 at Electrical Audio, Chicago, Illinois | |||
| Genre |
Rock Post-rock |
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| Length | 43:25 | |||
| Language | English, French, Spanish, German | |||
| Label | Beggars Banquet | |||
| Electrelane chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Power Out | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| BBC Collective | (7/10) |
| Calgary Sun |  |
| Drowned in Sound | (8/10) |
| Entertainment Weekly | A− |
| The Guardian | |
| The Observer | |
| Pitchfork Media | (7.5/10) |
| Stylus Magazine | A− |
The Power Out is the second album by English rock group Electrelane. It was released on compact disc and vinyl in 2004 by Too Pure. It was recorded in Chicago, Illinois in early 2003 by Steve Albini. The album's lead single, "On Parade" was a hit on college radio. The album did not receive mainstream commercial success, despite receiving mostly positive critical reviews.
The band's first release, Rock It to the Moon received a lackluster commercial response due to limited distribution, promotion and exposure. The band signed with Too Pure, a member of the Beggars Group for their follow-up. As drummer Emma Gaze explained, the new label had "so many people and departments, and we knew, purely for that reason, that there would be more response to the new album."
Critics also commented that Too Pure was a good fit for Electrelane, as many of the other label's acts (such as Stereolab and Th' Faith Healers) shared similarities with the group.
The band brought in producer Steve Albini for The Power Out. Initially, the band had contacted him to try to get a spot on the All Tomorrow's Parties (ATP) music festival. The roster had already been filled, but Albini wrote back to the band telling them to contact him if they wanted to work with him in the future. The band went to Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, Illinois and recorded the album in a break-free three-week period from April to May 2003.
Electrelane still handled production duties, while Albini was in charge of recording and mixing. With Rock It to the Moon using overdubs and Pro Tools mixing, Albini was renowned for frills-free, all-analog recording, generally keeping effects to a minimum; he used these techniques on The Power Out as well.
The Power Out is perhaps best characterised by a "starling and unique" "stylistic hodgepodge". The major stylistic themes of the album, which often overlap, are foreign languages and literary references.
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