LOST IN THE WOODS – BIRDSONG ALMANAC
Sydney band, Lost in the Woods, began recording for radio plays in 2003. There’s an element of the theatrical to their second album Birdsong Almanac too. It’s as though the band decided to take you out of reality for forty minutes and instead plunge you into an alternative world of carnival rides and an abundance of brass. The album has blended folk, sifted in baroque pop, mixed in country and added a small dollop of jazz. The end result is a unique and whimsical album reminiscent of The Polyphonic Spree. Frontman Brian Yatman sings about the birds and the bees (literally not figuratively) and the songs are more of a whistle-a-long than sing-a-long. It’s impossible not to bop your head, click your fingers and move your shoulders in rhythm to the merry melodies. There are, however, a few dark and melancholic moments that will remind you of Rufus Wainwright or a less macabre Nick Cave. These songs, although less joyful, are strong and ironically refreshing. This is the perfect album to listen to on a day when you want to smell the roses and not take life too seriously.
*** 1/2
