The Crayon Fields
Animal Bells
Chapter Music/Trifekta

After releasing two EPs, Melbourne's retro-pop whiz-kids The Crayon Fields have stepped up to the plate with their debut album 'Animal Bells'. There was a lot of pressure on the band to get the album right - not just to satisfy their fans in their home-town, but also to provide them with the release they needed to make people in other states sit up and take notice. Fortunately, 'Animal Bells' does all that and more: it's time for the public to take notice.

'Animal Bells' is a shimmering, dreamy slice of some of the lushest pop this side of The Zombies and The Beach Boys. Where the band's previous material leant more toward a gentle art-pop, this album is all about a consistent mood - a bittersweet swirl of '60s harmonies, all tied in together by glockenspiel, chimes and the titular animal-shaped bells. The end result is nothing short of stunning, as the album glides smoothly and nimbly from track to track.

Singer and guitarist Geoff O'Connor's falsetto has always been a drawcard for the band with its distinctive timidness, but here it soars - it's the sound of a singer losing his nerves, but without losing his talent for expressing fragility. Opener Choir Of Tiny Boys sets the scene, with dense harmonies and angular rhythms, before transitioning into the swirling organ of Would It Be So Strange?

Elsewhere, Lovely Time benefits from the depth added by guest vocals from Minimum Chips' Nicole and Julian and Do It First, which previously appeared on the band's debut EP, positively shimmers with its new arrangement and confidence.

Consider 'Animal Bells' a declaration of intent - The Crayon Fields are out to prove that they are one of the best bands in the country, for those who don't already know it.

Alistair Wallis