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**Return to the Moon: EL VY's Brief But Beautiful Lunar Landing**

Like so many promising musical partnerships, EL VY burned bright and fast, leaving behind just one perfect artifact of what might have been. The duo—comprised of The National's Matt Berninger and Rambles' Brent Knopf—called it quits after their sole album, but what a glorious swan song *Return to the Moon* turned out to be.

Working backwards from their amicable dissolution, it's clear that EL VY was always meant to be a fleeting experiment rather than a long-term commitment. Both artists had primary bands demanding their attention, and the project felt more like a creative vacation than a career pivot. Yet this temporary nature might be exactly what made their collaboration so special—there was no pressure to establish a "sound" or build a brand, just two musicians playing in each other's sonic sandboxes with childlike enthusiasm.

The album stands as a fascinating document of what happens when indie rock's most neurotic frontman gets handed a box of electronic toys. Knopf, fresh from his work with Menomena and Rambles, brought a palette of synthesizers, drum machines, and digital textures that pushed Berninger far outside his comfort zone of brooding guitars and wine-soaked melancholy. The result is The National's emotional weight lifted by Knopf's buoyant production, creating something that feels both familiar and completely alien.

Musically, *Return to the Moon* occupies a sweet spot between indie rock and electronic pop that few albums have managed to navigate so successfully. It's not quite the dancefloor-ready material that LCD Soundsystem perfected, nor is it the laptop folk that dominated the mid-2010s indie scene. Instead, EL VY crafted something uniquely their own: songs that pulse with electronic heartbeats but still carry the literary weight and emotional complexity that makes Berninger such a compelling vocalist.

The album's crown jewel is undoubtedly "Return to the Moon (Political Song for Didi Bloome)," a track that somehow manages to be both the most Berninger-esque song on the record and completely unlike anything in The National's catalog. Over Knopf's hypnotic, almost krautrock-influenced groove, Berninger spins a tale that's part political commentary, part personal confession, all delivered with his trademark baritone that sounds perfectly at home over the electronic pulse. It's the kind of song that makes you wonder why more indie rock frontmen don't experiment with drum machines.

"Need a Friend" showcases the duo's pop sensibilities, with Knopf's production creating a warm, enveloping soundscape that makes Berninger's typically anxious lyrics feel almost comforting. Meanwhile, "Sad Case" strips things back to their emotional core, proving that no amount of electronic flourishes can mask the raw vulnerability that makes Berninger such a compelling performer.

The real revelation is "I'm the Man to Be," where Berninger's self-deprecating humor gets a chance to shine against Knopf's most playful arrangement. It's a reminder that The National's frontman has always had a wit about him, even when drowning in existential dread, and Knopf's lighter touch gives that humor room to breathe.

The genesis of EL VY traces back to a friendship between Berninger and Knopf that developed through the interconnected world of indie rock. After years of mutual admiration and the occasional collaboration, they decided to hole up together and see what would happen when Berninger's words met Knopf's electronic sensibilities. The process was reportedly loose and experimental, with Knopf creating backing tracks that Berninger would then inhabit with his distinctive vocal style and stream-of-consciousness lyrics.

What emerged was an album that feels like a transmission from an alternate universe where The National discovered synthesizers in 2003. It's both a departure and a logical extension of both artists' work—Knopf gets to showcase his pop instincts without the art-rock complexity of Menomena, while Berninger explores new emotional territories with the safety net of familiar themes.

*Return to the Moon* remains a curious footnote in both artists' discographies, but it's the kind of footnote that rewards deep investigation. In an era of endless reunion tours and legacy acts, there's something refreshing about a project that knew exactly what it was and when to stop. EL VY may have been brief, but they left us with a small, perfectly formed moon