I only just heard the Barr Brothers on the CBC Radio program Q this morning. I instantly bought their CD and am so glad - the songs only get better as the record goes on. The tunes are all quite slow and mellow, but that just makes it excellent relaxing/cooking/background music. The lyrics are clever and the instrumentation and harmonies are incredible. I think I heard a harp, an organ and definitely lots of harmonica. Great, great band. Check them out on YouTube if you're unsure.
I am a newcomer to the Decemberists, but because of this album I've searched into the depths of Amazon and gotten all of their albums. They're an amazing band - some of the harmonies that come out of this CD are mind-blowing. The lyrics are often strange and use words that I don't always know, but that's part of the magic: you can appreciate the art and learn something at the same time. :) Great band, great album, great songs - just buy it. You'll see.
I'm a newcomer to Aqualung - I had heard "Strange and Beautiful" before and really liked it, so I decided on a whim to buy this album. I am so impressed. The lyrics are awesome: they speak simple truths, but still somehow manage to be poetic. You can hear the passion in Matt Hales' voice: the musical bridges are pretty unreal, and his range ... his range! My favourite songs are "Reel Me In," "Fingertip," and "Magnetic North." Their sound is kind of hard to describe - look them up on YouTube if you're unsure, but if you like Mumford and Sons or The Weepies, you'll almost certainly like this. :)
