THE ARBORIST

Opening right away with pretty piano and lovely echo vocals, the album starts strong with track 1. There are lots of layers on this song, different vocal lines wafting about all driven by lively drumming. This is a good song to my ears, great opener.

Track 2 opens with more sparse piano and even when other instruments come/singing, another exits so the song keeps a more chill atmosphere then the prior song.

Track 3 mixed it up with ambient sounds and an erhu (Chinese Violin like instrument) that is eventually joined by violin. Some cinematic accompaniment comes for a moment, then the song is washed away by harp. The song builds once again then erupts into a very deep buzzing.

Track four starts off where three ended, with more of the buzzing, forming a single song. The song becomes more bombastic yet retains a soft edge then returns to a piano playing in the foreground as other instruments float above. Eventually, guitars play on top of a chill bass and drums beat which takes the song to its closer. Hardening back to track threes opening, the ambient fuzz returns as piano plays the outro. (Static and choir synth for a few seconds are the actual last sounds of the song) This song was fine, mostly not my cuppa, to much movie score vibe

Track 5 is a piano/vocals led alt (?) rock ballad with a bolder form. Lots of piano work and guitar come to fill the songs seven minutes with pleasant music. Another solid track.

Track six starts like five/2/1, vocals piano and drums (there is bass to it's just not very audible throughout the album). The vocals here are softer, some of the background ones being falsetto and another vocalist appears to contribute actual MODERN POP vocals, and they are actually nice. The song breaks into a cool guitar solo, more energetic, less as a part of the song and as a star player. A vocal section comes that has a neat rest then gentle piano which abruptly returns where the song left off. Guitar takes the lead once again until the band gives its spotlight to the piano. This pretty much ends the album with just some animal sounds filling the last thirty seconds. I think this was a weak closer to the song/album. The guitar built up tension could have gone into a truly amazing section, instead solo background music piano which was already given enough time on both the album/song was give even more time to meander.

Overall if you like atmospheric music with inoffensive well done vocals, good production (I think) and delicate instrumentals. High three stars for me, not enough jank/contrast, vocal melodies that could be more defined/memorable and to much of a soundtrack sound. Also this album sounds pretty 2016 which is neat, no retro symphonic fare here.