Canyon Country

Canyon Country offer up 19 ambient guitar-driven melodies on There’s a Forest in the Fire. Of the cuts, some have vocals while others are merely instrumental. While typically this would provide a nice balance for a CD of this length — and it does here too — it also exposes one of the album’s only weaknesses: a desire to over "effect” the vocal performances with reverbs, etc. Yes, this is a disc full of gorgeous guitar work, melodic piano, and dreamy atmospheres, but there is no need for vocalist/musician Nick Huntington (also of Freescha) to sound as if he’s delivering his lyrics from deep within a well (most evident on "Setting Sun”). There are a few times where this actually works with the quiet lulling ambience of the arrangements, but often it just feels odd and forced. That said, by the latter half of the disc things really even out. The heavily affected vocals make way for more organic sounding treatments (which mesh far better) and Canyon Country really show what they’re capable of. There’s a Forest in the Fire is a rich though intentionally meandering experience — meaning there’s not a single "rocker” here. Canyon Country choose to keep the tempo slow and lazy, providing a dream state and promising to never shake you free from it — perfect for melancholy moments and Sunday mornings.