Fish & Bird

Given that this quintet's members are based in Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto, getting together to record must be quite the logistical challenge. We can be grateful it's one they met for this third album, an impressive collection of nine original folk-rooted compositions. Lead singer Taylor Ashton has a rich, compelling voice, one nicely complemented by the backing vocals of bassist Zoe Guigueno and fiddle player Adam Iredale-Gray. There's a refreshingly sparse feel to the Fish & Bird sound, with fiddle, banjo and upright bass interacting nicely with acoustic and electric guitars. The sense of space is appropriate, given song titles like "Space Telescope" (an album highlight) and "Northern Lights." They get a little experimental sonically on closing cut "Boxes & Bottles," something it'd be pleasing to see them pursue further.