Anathallo - Canopy Glow

The beginner's luck streak continues, because this band is gold. Sweeping orchestration, beautiful male/female paired vocals, and a powerful sense of the epic blend together to make this group a wonderful experience. Voice and instrument play equal roles on the album- some songs are driven primarily by vocal interplay and others by touching instrumental work, but most exist as a balance between the two.

It's very fresh for me to listen to a band that relies sparingly on guitar work but instead runs on a more orchestral sound, particularly brass instruments like trumpet and trombone. I love the guitar and the huge scope of sounds it can make, but I like hearing less popular instruments get some attention. Anathallo makes this very natural, instead of giving off a "Hey look at us we use uncommon instruments just so we stand out" vibe. It's also worth noting that all of the members of this group sing, so they have a lot of voices to draw on instead of always having to turn to layered vocals (which aren't inherently bad, but have to be judged on a case-by-case basis if you ask me).

If you want a strong example of the flavor of the band, turn to the fourth track, The River. It is by far my favorite song on the album, in part because it touches down on everything the band can do, especially their talent for build-up. The album derives its name from the lyrics of this song, and that quality is well-earned.

Sounds Like: Sufjan Stevens, Arcade Fire, Stars, The New Pornographers

-Track Listing-
1. Noni's Field
2. Italo
3. Northern Lights
4. The River
5. Cafetorium
6. Sleeping Torpor
7. All the First Pages
8. John J. Audubon
9. Bells
10. Tower of Babel

Notable Tracks:

Best- Noni's Field, Italo, The River, Bells

Worst- N/A, every piece of music on this album is a well-polished gem.


Links:
The River- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yTlfWv_Mb0
Bells- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EULo90bOGq0