The Soft Hills

To first acknowledge the pink elephant in the room, I'm just going to say it: Fleet Foxes much? From the four-part male harmonies, the relaxed fingerpicking and the mountain scene-inspired lyrics, this is an obvious comparison. Plus, they are also from Seattle, but don't let this early comparison fool you – the Soft Hills have a number of other sonic treats to serve their listeners. The songs that make up The Bird is Coming Down to Earth are poppy ("Phoenix"), a little psychedelic ("River Boat"), sometimes majestic ("Purple Moon") and sometimes fuzzed-out into a garage rock bender ("Tidal Waves"). Indeed, the musical tapestry that makes up The Bird is Coming Down to Earth covers a number of genres, all of them with aplomb. This third effort from the Soft Hills is a highly recommended listen.