Annuals

The Annuals have been compared to Broken Social Scene, The Arcade Fire, and Animal Collective. These three bands on one album? SOLD.
Their second full-length album Such Fun on Canvasback Music was released October 7, 2008. Today it made its way to my ears.
This morning I woke up sick from a long Halloween weekend of partying, trick-or-treating, and dancing around to bad music. On my overloaded desk there's this simple, paper CD jacket with beautiful snow covered peaks, an idyllic blue lake on it. In my post-NyQuil state I put in the CD that let me know who the band was because it wasn't on the case and jumped in the shower. (Music in the bathroom while water is running can't be beat.)

The first song, "Confessor," caught me off guard because when I see landscapes on the cover of an album I (wrongly) assume its going to be folksy, twangy, maybe a little bluegrass.
Electric guitars, harmonious lyrics play out until the drums start and the song plays out.
The lyrics themselves are poetic, "For every wick, in every candle, just let in the morning light," the lithe sounds, wrapping around the instrumentals.
Shower acoustics aside, it was still lovely when I listened in my room.
Each song is different from the one before, the comparisons to my favorite bands ringing true. At the same time they have their own sound and style that doesn't come from another group.
Two years ago their CD Be He Me came out and created a buzz in the music world. Stereogum said their songs,"demand to be repeated."
Adam Baker, Kenny Florence, Zack Oden, Nick Radford, Mike Robinson, and Anna Spence formed in 2003 in North Carolina.

1) Confessor
2) Hot Night Hounds
3) Springtime
4) Down the Mountain
5) Always Do
6) Talking
7) Hardwood Floor
8) Hair Don't Grow
9) The Tape
10) Blue Ridge
11) Wake