Review:

on 2010-01-17 thurstamoore Said:

Woodpigeons Die Stadt Muzikanten begins off with a vintage record crackling, followed by an old piano from a lonesome bar. The combination of that and Mark Hamiltons hushed, distant vocals and soft trumpets create a really romantic atmosphere. The second track busts out a fresh and clean drum and bass combination, paired with an delightful xylophone. Such a Lucky Girl opens up with what could be mistaken for Jaga Jazzists Swedenborgske Rom, but quickly turns into a dreamy ballad, with the perfect combination of male and female vocals. There is a real old, back to the land feel to the album, which is especially present on Redbeard. An unexpected accordion begins the piece, and is quickly joined by a violin to set the perfect mood. The tempo picks up on My Denial in Argyle, with a more charging, powerful feel to it.
While Woodpigeons album is a treat all-around, it is nothing ground-breaking. There are hints here and there from many of todays talented bands, which makes it harder for Woodpigeon to truly stand out from the pack. Marks vocals often sound familiar to Sufjan Stevens, with his calming and soft voice. Woodpigeons guitar sound is fresh, clean and delightfully jangly, similar to that of Teenage Fanclub, and is especially evident on Duck Duck Goose. Although there are similarities, Woodpigeons orchestral arrangements are a real treat. There is only a small minority of bands that have as many as ten members and such a wide variety of instruments, ranging from xylophone to accordion and strings.
Although every song on the album finished with wonderful combinations of instruments, intensity and passion, it was a little too much. Running at over an hour with a whopping 16 songs, the main ideas become lost and scrambled in the mess of excess. It takes more effort than should be needed to remember or recognize any of the songs on the album, and there are only a handful that are truly worth remembering. Die Stadt Muzikanten is a very pleasant listen; however, chances that it may remain in my CD player on repeat are not as high as expected.

Rating: 6/10