Even substance can have an exhilarating side. Hailing from
Lakeland, Fla., indie-pop quintet Copeland have been
constructing a warm blend of soothing and beautifully
orchestrated music since forming in 2000. From its stunningly
pensive debut, "Beneath Medicine Tree" in 2003 to their
slightly edgier follow-up in 2005, "In Motion," and its intricate
third album a year later, "Eat, Sleep, Repeat," Copeland never
ceases to raise its artistic bar.
On its latest effort and debut on the band's new label, "You
Are My Sunshine," Copeland - Aaron Marsh (vocals, guitar,
piano, organ, mellotron), Bryan Laurenson (guitar, backing
vocals), Stephan Laurenson (guitar) and Jonathan Bucklew
(drums) - expand its creativity to make an album of 11 lush
sounding tracks.
The album opens with "Should You Return," a number that
displays Marsh's sweet vocal and soft singing while a
moderate sounding piano plays in the background. After 28
seconds, spot-on drumming and a light electric guitar strum
set the pace for the rest of the song. This should surely be a
fan favorite.
The album's first single, "The Grey Man," is track two and it
follows a similar formula as "Should You Return," with the
beginning revealing Marsh's croon and a simple piano melody.
"By the time you find your way, you're gonna run right back to
the start," he sings in the chorus before ending with, "And
when you finally think it's gone, you're gonna run right back to
her arms." It also features a bridge draped in Marsh's falsetto
that carries the song to grieving, emotional depths.
Songs like the upbeat and sunny, "Good Morning Fire Eater,"
display a different sensibility, one that strays away from the
overall tone of the album. But it's definitely a positive
difference partly due to the infusion of bombastic drumming
from Bucklew, light cello playing, a synthesizer line that
compliments the songs harmony and subtle xylophone
touches.
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