New album review: Breathe Owl Breathe’s ‘Magic Central’

I’m pretty embarrassed that it took me until living in New York to listen to Breathe Owl Breathe. They’re from Michigan (my home state) and I’m pretty sure I had about a million chances to see/hear them when I was in college. But alas, it took me longer than it should have. But it’s better late than never, huh? Anyway, this group is so lovely: Their style folk music is unlike anything I’ve heard in terms of the combination of instruments and unique voices, and this record is home to some of my favorite lyrics I’ve heard all year. I’m sad I didn’t get to see them play in Brooklyn last week (although it was because I went to see Tallest Man On Earth instead), but they’ll be my No. 1 priority next time they come through here, especially since I’ve heard their shows are pretty magical.

My review of Breathe Owl Breathe’s Magic Central on eMusic:

Michigan trio — and eMusic Selects alums — Breathe Owl Breathe’s charismatic brand of folk stems as much from make-believe fantasylands as it does earnest human emotions. The group’s fourth LP, Magic Central, isn’t a drastic departure from their past works: It’s founded on Micah Middaugh’s acoustic guitar and laced with Andréa Moreno-Beals’s cello, Trevor Hobbes’s ragtag percussion — including various chimes and bells, tambourines and shakers — and an organic smattering of banjo, dissonant piano chords and violin. But it’s slightly cleaner and more upbeat, with more focus on melody in Middaugh’s conversational, often half-spoken vocals. While Middaugh’s voice typically takes the lead, Moreno-Beals’s contributions are also crucial — her smoky, Feist-like croon complements Middaugh and especially comes through in tracks like the soulful “Icy Cave Dancers” and “Dog Walkers of the New Age.”

As with all of BoB’s work, Middaugh’s playful storytelling is as much of a treat as the corresponding soundtrack. In “Parrots in the Tropical Trees,” his voice swoops in and out as he sings, “Tidal wave, what gives you the entitlement to wash me away?” Later, “Dragon” is about a love that others might not approve of, masked as a story about a dragon and a princess who are pen pals. It’s prefaced with a spoken story explaining the situation, which proves to be one of the album’s most endearing moments. It’s refreshing to hear folk music that’s as adventurous as the characters that inhabit the songs.

Breathe Owl Breathe’s MySpace