Elf Power’s ninth album, “In A Cave,” blasts them past the familiar territories of their previous records and lands them on exciting new terrain. Granted, the Elves’ sound is still founded on the bedrock attributes that make them memorable: leader Andrew Rieger’s otherworldly lyrical stances, their easy way with melody, and an overall eclectic approach towards making music. “In A Cave” finds Elf Power filtering their powerful live sound through varied, experimental recording processes and approaches; the new album plays like a spirited, exploratory series of treatments on the tried-and-true Elf Power sound.

Bassist Derek Almstead’s production is lean and muscular beneath a warm sonic layer; he opens ample windows for the band’s creativity to run free. Drummer/multi-instrumentalist Eric Harris returns to the fold for this record, and his rhythmic interaction with Almstead provides the supportive spine for each tune; the two bury a chugging Krautrock underpinning in the sing-song pop of “Paralyzed” and provide the swaggering marching fuzz-boogie of “Spiral Stairs.” Harris’ homemade “tape-organ” – a Thriftstore Mellotron, of sorts -- assumes a starring role on several songs, enveloping the driving jams and harmonically-dense balladry in a loopy, warbly aura. Rieger’s twelve-string and the command of Jimmy Hughes’ lead guitar form a subtle yet important cohesion. The melody that comes courtesy of Heather McIntosh’s virtuoso cello flirts with Laura Carter’s accordion and Moog Synthesizer to make “In A Cave” one of the most psychedelic Elf Power records in years. Droned-out, interstitial songs like “Window to Mars” and the Eno-esque “Heads of Dust, Hearts of Lust” lend a sense of wholeness to this diverse album, and glue the longer tracks together perfectly.