Winterpills

Flawless harmonies are hard to come by. The Mamas and the Papas did it. The Beach Boys did it. And now, Winterpills have perfected vocal harmony and made it sound so airy and effortless that they are almost worth mentioning in the same breath as those giants. Indeed, the voices of Philip Price and Flora Reid meld seamlessly to create harmonic precision that could reduce even the most stoic choir leader to tears. But it’s the vocal work that is the band’s strongest suit. While their melancholic songwriting is generally on mark and they have their moments lyrically, Winterpills could benefit from a little more variety — their songs tend to sound fairly indistinct after a while. Despite this, they exude undeniable warmth on "A Ransom,” and "Broken Arm” is downright spine shivering. At their best, Winterpills are what Crowded House might have sounded like had Elliott Smith and Martha Wainwright been at the helm.