Song, by Toad

I’ve been sitting on this album since we came back from Portland. This is another band to whom I was introduced by Matt of Bladen County Records, and very grateful I am too. They were actually playing while we were there, but it would have involved skipping a few too many crucial parts of Pickathon, so we decided against it.

The beautifully laid back indie pop is sufficiently discreet that I found this a very slow album to come to terms with, and had a bad habit of only paying attention to a couple of songs before my attention began to drift.  I know this is probably a valid enough criticism just by itself, but I think it’s worth paying a little bit more attention than that because, once you’ve allowed the music to soak in, there is plenty of genuine quality on this record, whatever it may lack in instant impact.

It’s a quintessential West Coast album in many ways, with a sound bordering on folky and a gentle ease to the tempo.  Typical Portland perhaps not – I think I would associate more extravagant musicianship with that city, although that may just be the bands I’ve latched onto. I would also say that the record falters just a little as it draws to a close, perhaps not maintaining that somewhat covert catchiness that makes the first two thirds such an easy pleasure, but that would leave what is supposed to be a positive review too full of criticisms.

I doubt anyone is going to be blown away by this album, but I am really enjoying it.  The first half or so is genuinely superb – breezy and confident pop songs, with a gentle wistfulness that balances melancholy with cautious optimism to perfection.  As debuts go, I’d say this was very promising indeed.

Blind Pilot – One Red Thread
Blind Pilot – Poor Boy

MySpace (buy the album here, too) | More mp3s