The Crayon Fields – ‘Choir of Tiny Boys’

When I was 18, Melbourne band The Crayon Fields were a three piece who made vaguely arty indie pop (I used to compare them to Pavement, but in retrospect I think I have compared every indie band I like to Pavement at some stage). When visiting their home town for a little less than a week, I saw them play twice. I also got two copies of their first EP, Worms, Worms! and a badge bearing their name in colourful writing that adorned whatever god awful v-neck sweater I thought was sweet at the time.

That was 3 years ago. Since then I have purchased their The Good Life EP, as well as a three inch mini CD and a whole bunch of badges. I have organized poorly attended shows for the band and have spent an hour trying to find the then drunk, now ex-drummer in Surry Hills at 2am one Saturday night. I have been disappointed upon discovering that they did not make a patented Crayon Fields sweater in my size (borderline pregnant), and overjoyed when seeing them support amazing bands like The Unicorns, Deerhoof and Calvin Johnson.

Most recently I have been overjoyed while listening to their debut release, Animal Bells, out now through Trifekta/Chapter Music, two amazing Melbourne indie pop labels responsible for releasing some of the greatest indie records in my collection. And Animal Bells is possibly the greatest indie record either label has released, an incredible soup of harmonies, twangly guitars and sleigh bells.

I’m certain that every review is going to describe this record as “Melbourne’s answer to Brian Wilson, The Byrds, blah blah blah incessant comparisons”, but I think the most accurate way any writer could review Animal Bells is by simply posting a picture of their pasty mug, grinning madly as they listen to the doo’s, da’s, ooh’s and la’s heard throughout second track ‘Would it be so Strange?’, or to the handclaps that hold ‘Impossible Things’ together.

There are several songs available to listen to and download at the bands MySpace, but I thought I’d post album opener ‘Choir of Tiny Boys’. The album is full of longer, larger pop songs, yet I find myself continually coming back to this, a short, simple and perfect introduction to my favourite Australian album in years.

http://www.thecrayonfields.com
http://www.myspace.com/thecrayonfields

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