Despite only briefly listening to their past two albums, I can safely say that their third full-length release, Die Stadt Muzikanten, is Woodpigeon’s best album yet. The german title, simply translating to The Town Musicians, is the perfect way to describe this sprawling indie-folk and chamber-pop ensemble. Over fifteen flourishing tracks Mark Hamilton, founder and core member of Woodpigeon, treats us to crackling confessions about love and denial delivered in a warm and pleasantly frayed tone that is reminiscent of folk and indie artists such as Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) and Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian).

Although many of the lyrics seem to suggest a sombre mood, they are carefully complicated by lush melodies, catchy guitar riffs, and intricately layered sections of piano, violin, banjo, and the occasional trumpet. Tracks like “The Street Noise Gives You Away” and “My Denial in Argyle” on the other hand, reveal a powerful indie rock side to the band and are crammed full of pounding drums and infectious guitar. These rich instrumentals make the album feel a whole lot more crisp and polished than previous releases and Die Stadt Muzikanten generally feels like a giant step forward for the band as a whole.

As engaging as Woodpigeon’s sound can be at times, it’s the harmonies that will simply steal you away. Stand out tracks “Empty-Hall Sing-Along” and the epic seven-minute “Such A Lucky Girl” are perfect examples of this. These massive chamber-choir numbers build from simple, repetitive percussion into rousing sections of piano and violin with hauntingly powerful vocals stirred in. More than anything else, Die Stadt Muzikanten sees Woodpigeon reach their biggest sound yet, and on this record they’ve truly found a sound that they can proudly call their own.

***

For more Woodpigeon,
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/woodpigeon

Catch them live next week with Betty Burke at the Drake Hotel on Thursday, February 11th. The band will also be playing a free in-store at Soundscapes on February 14th at 5PM.

Review By Roman Melnik