Bowerbirds

I was initially won over by their video on the Blogotheque website - the trio playing "Bur Oak" from their first album, wandering around the aisles of a candy store with their acoustic guitar, accordion and marching band bass drum. But where Hymns for a Dark Horse lived in the warmth of this homespun charm, Upper Air feels more road tested and further reaching. Phil Moore's songs deal with life's little updrafts that find you just as you weaken. He is there to remind you "You are already free," so you can get on to slow dancing with your significant other. These reminders sometimes come via the quiet whispers of acoustic guitars and vocals, like "Silver Clouds" or "Bright Future," which also has a lovely slink of upright bass. But the more loudly beating heart of the album is the way the three voices migrate in formation over a balladeer breeze of simple, lovely melodies. Recent touring with Bon Iver may have provided generous thermals but Bowerbirds live in an upper air of their own making.