Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Review: We Are Trees - Boyfriend EP


I love when a band falls in to your lap and here at AIMR we are on a purple patch the fabulous Sacred Animals have led us onto Virgina Beach's We Are Trees. The 'Boyfriend EP' is best described as Bedroom Ephemeral, simple yet dreamy.

In opening track Sunrise Sunset an acoustic guitar hangs in a cloud of effect laden drums and persuasion. James Nee's opening "oh Ha oh" vocals provide the main hook in the song. The vocals are happy-sad, the delivery is a blend of Win Butler and Hayden Thorpe. The music builds to a crescendo with the violin and guitar playing harder and harder.

In Daniel, again a lonesome acoustic guitar precedes a raft of drums; only this time Rocky Capizzi's rustic violin provides the killer hook, not the backing vocals. The influence of Arcade Fire is easy to hear especially when the cello enters the fray.

Dear Chan Marshall begins a more traditional mid tempo folk number, taking its cues from Dylan & Neil Young. A love-lost yarn, skeptical of romance to say the least. Again the chorus is a hum rather than a lyric and we are treated to more alt rock bowing.

Staccato picked violin and cello figures are the bedrock of Final Round wich contains yet another hum along vocal melody. The mix has more emphasis on the lead guitar than in previous songs. This is the quirkiest of all the songs, a strange cross between The Divine Comedy and Fleet Foxes.

'Boyfriend', is available to download, for free, from the bands Bandcamp site and is thoroughly enjoyable. We expect to be impressed once again in the future.

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