3 Rounds and a Sound
,
Blind Pilot
's self-released debut, sketched a bareboned folk-pop sound with short, simple strokes.
We Are the Tide
paints a different picture, thanks to four newcomers --- including a vibraphonist, an upright bassist, and a dulcimer player --- who add bigger, brighter colors to the mix. It's rare they everyone plays at once; instead, the band holds its cards like a poker champ, waiting until the perfect moment to throw down a loaded hand. Whenever that happens,
sounds like a contemporary
Fleetwood Mac
, with thickly stacked harmonies coating every refrain, or even a co-ed
Crosby, Stills & Nash
, whose easygoing specter looms large during the outro to "White Apple."
blazes its own path, though, bringing other bands to mind --- including contemporary names like
Fleet Foxes
and
the Head and the Heart
, both of whom build their songs around similar layers of acoustic instruments and choir-kid harmonies --- without making you wish you were listening to those groups instead. And, in keeping with the laid-back attitude of
's Pacific Northwest home, the album stretches its legs at a leisurely pace, leading off with a midtempo ballad --- the simple, striking "Half Moon," which dissolves into a few moments of gorgeous a cappella toward the song's end -- and waiting until the third track to speed things up with the galloping "Keep You Right."
is saddled with the difficult task of showcasing a new band, one whose roster has increased 300-percent since the last album, without alienating fans who first warmed up to
as a homespun duo. It meets that challenge head-on, offering up a near-faultless track list that sets a new benchmark in the Oregon/Washington folk-pop revival. Come for the straightforward melodies that stick in your head for hours; stay for the smart arrangements that alternate between stripped-down acoustic backdrops and panoramic, orchestral accompaniments. ~ Andrew Leahey