Akron/Family

Debut by this adopted Brooklyn quartet—collaborators on the Angels of Lights latest and the touring band. I suppose you could say this is folk (choosing psych, free, new, or whatever other variant you like best), but that's not exactly right. This is a whole lot of sound. Sounds from the "expected" electric/acoustic guitars, drums, to the more "folky" banjos and organs, and to anyone's guess of what the hell "bric-a-brac" and "fruity computer twidding" mean. Found sounds too! Then there's the lead singer's voice that's warm but gets alarmingly high and otherworldly, singing koans and philosophical absurdities. Every song is unconventionally (i.e. unapologetically disjunctive) yet beautifully arranged, and rarely seems to repeat a sound of another. This is brilliant, and really warrants a close listen. FCC clean.

**1. Strummed guitars/electronic blips before high male vox enter mid way through, then gets more upbeat, fleshed out with harmonies, drums and other random noises.
2. Lo-fi distorted vox intro into freakish vocal transition that sounds slowed down.
3. Shredding electro noises fade into a sustained lush quietness and strained vox.
4. Sounds of creaking chair throughout. Lethargic but then breaks out into choral type climax with percussion extravaganza.
5. Samples of seagulls and waves; static effect & nice harmonies. Wistful.
**6. Awesomely high warbled vox. Features a vocal sound bed. Hopeful.
7. Closet to straightforward folk. Penetrating abyss like sound cuts in midway.
8. Noises of the night? A crackling fire and chirping. Something getting sanded? boiling?
9. Synthesizers, electro-pop song but still poignant lyrics.
10. Everyone sings together here and it's nice. Foot-stomping a cappella section.
**11. Darker. Begins with a bit of abrasive noise; awesome vox and simple drums.
12. Another more straightforward folk tune.
**13. More group singing. Almost marching band like drums. Gorgeous closing.
14. Hidden track. Silence for first 2 minutes. Nice, lush but acoustic guitar center.