Said the Whale

Most bands' best work has hints of naiveté that are near impossible to duplicate on subsequent releases. Said the Whale's breakthrough, Islands Disappear, certainly fits this category. And while third album Little Mountain lacks its predecessor's sense of innocence, the Vancouver, BC quintet's latest still hits all the right notes. Chief amongst its triumphs is the band's ability to tell stories in their music, whether its advice in love from singer-guitarist Ben Worcester's grandfather ("Big Sky, MT") or the restless lovers of "Jesse, AR." The group's hometown continues to act as their chief muse – "Big Wave Goodbye" casts the city as the lover left behind as the narrator heads out on tour. Little Mountain is the group's largest album to date, both in its crisp, clean sound and the musical territory covered. While they haven't surpassed the incredibly high bar of Islands Disappear, they've certainly matched it while pushing their sound in a half dozen different directions.