On first listen, I was very confused. Boston's Parsonsfield were purveyors of a jaunty Alt Folk, so what was happening with all these synths and drum machines? I'd heard Till I Die before the album release and it is a cracking song. I just thought that the accompanying beats were an experimental one off.
The album revealed that this wasn't the exception but the rule. As someone who doesn't get that excited about processed sounds and having a particular aversion to drum machines, it took me a while to get into the album, but I'm glad I did.
Previous followers have to ignore what has gone before and maybe even treat this album as by someone else. This is a fantastic Indie Pop affair and although there may be a few casualties fan wise, far more will come along to see the new building.
Happy Hour On The Floor is a far more contemplative album, but the songs are splendidly written and the arrangements unusual, but enthralling. Till I Die is still wonderful with its Simon And Garfunkel fragile vocal, but there is much here to equal it.
River Town is built around a kind of toy piano riff with a killer chorus and Oh My Man has an almost oriental theme and compares to Fleetwood Mac's Tusk era. Emery almost aches, but compare that to the synth pop of Now That You're Gone and they reveal that there's plenty of variety here.
Reykjavik Connection is great mainstream pop and Paper Floor is a broody opener that threatens to break out but never does. Throughout the album, there is Dream Pop vibe. This isn't music that you can jig to, but you can certainly dance. The album is a brave move that deserves great applause.
You can listen to and buy the album here.
................................
No comments:
Post a Comment