The Album Leaf - A Chorus of Storytellers: 4/5 Bits

Artist: The Album Leaf

Album: A Chorus of Storytellers

Genres: Post-Rock, Ambient, Electronic

I had forgotten I had this album sitting on my hard drive for quite a while and boy am I sorry that I waited so long to hear it. Before I go into the album I'd like to explain why this is an important release by The Album Leaf. The biggest thing about this album is that it was the first time the whole band had been a part of the recording process, rather than one person doing it all. Secondly you may notice hints of Sigur Rós, this is because Jonsí helped with this album, mostly in the mixing department. Now onto why you should listen to this album, if the Sigur Rós name drop wasn't enough.

The first track opens up with a lush atmospheric ambiance that sets a theme for the album. The sound production on this is absolutely wonderful. The attention to detail is brilliant. This enhances the serene sounds that The Album Leaf have crafted. Wonderful soundscapes combined with electronic drumming and the occasional vocal melody mixes wonderfully together to bring the listener quite the experience. The only times I was left slightly disappointed were on the vocal tracks, which are few. It's not that they are bad, it's that they do instrumental much better.

I didn't know what to think of this album when I was loading it up to listen. To be honest I had low expectations. The Album Leaf have always been a solid band, but have never blown me away. This hasn't exactly blown me away, but it's a great start. This is a well crafted album with each song flowing well into the next. If you're a fan of anything I've mentioned here, you need to here this.

Tracks to check out: Blank Pages, Summer Fog, Until the Last

4/5 Bits