| The Threads of Grass is a fitting name for the sunny, faintly psychedelic, yet
understated sound of the Portland-based band. Not quite indie, not quite folk -
and reminiscent of a subtler and more blissed-out Shins record - Sun Tunnels is
an impressive debut album that'll soon have you daydreaming about the breezy
summer days ahead.
Their opening track, "Sun Tunnels," evokes the image of frolicking through
ray-glossed meadows of wildflowers - and, well, maybe some poppies, too - and
perhaps best captures the tone of the album as a whole. "Tens" further amps up
the festivity with its zesty arrangement of horns, piano splashes and
psychedelic electric guitar solos, and feels sparkling with possibility. But
have no fear. Even these energetic tracks are tastefully underdone, despite the
density of their musical arrangements.
In fact, what is most remarkable about Sun Tunnels is the Threads of Grass'
ability to blend subtlety with energy. Consider, for example, "Odyle," with its
alternation between somber, almost silvery refrains and a tambourine-studded,
hand-holding chorus. Even their grayest, most melancholy song, "Holiday,"
manages not to come across as self-indulgent and instead stands out as the most
raw and soulful song on the album. By their final track, "Horsehead," the band's
light-hearted, but spirited summer sound has matured into the first pangs of
autumn. (Abundance Records)
http://www.myspace.com/thethreadsofgrass
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