421 Wythe Avenue
Paper Garden Records
4 Stars

Fusing electronic post-rock musicianship with indie sensibilities thrown in for good measure is Denmark’s Alcoholic Faith Mission. Their sound bridges the likes of Iron & Wine or Tegan And Sara with The Album Leaf in one fell swoop with fuzzed out bass, raw piano, clicks, bells and every whistle in between harmonious crooning. 421 Wythe Avenue is relaxing and breezy, but well constructed and musically intelligent without alienating an average listener.

From the constant buzz of opener “Theme From Soft Ice Cream Products,” the band doesn’t put up any genre walls. They keep a steady pace driven by reverb samples, a raw piano line and some clicks. This track creates a smooth transition into the rest album and sets the tone perfectly. The dreamy, acoustic-focused track “Gently” somehow talks about being a whore while sustaining a very innocent and ethereal tone in all its ironic glory. The feel of these tracks easily summarizes the general aesthetic of the album, but at the same time could never do it justice for all its intricacies.

The folk-meets-electronic vibe throughout the record is very self-actualized and full musically. Each track knows exactly its purpose and doesn’t seem to be missing a particular part of lack in an area instrumentally. Songs like “Escapism” and “Painting Animals In Watercolors” are easily distinguishable tracks from one another other, yet each resonates with the same positive vibes the record emits throughout. The simplest track on the record, “Someone Else,” really scales back the electronics for most of the song and takes on a few acoustic guitars before it ends in some reverb vocal lines and reverse guitars.

With so much going, the only problem with the record is song similarity. The consistent electronic buzzing and sample dabbling becomes a bit monotonous by the time you get to “Sweet Evelyn,” which is the culmination of every sound the album gives off in a 10-minute epic track. The extremely relaxing feel of the album never crescendos and leaves you breathless, it just keeps you complacent for 48 minutes. A very beautiful 48 minutes, but an imperfect time at best.

This being Alcoholic Faith Mission’s sophomore release, there is little to complain about for the better part of the record. Each song stands on its own merit and embodies a calming feeling throughout each note. There is a lot of potential that is being funneled through this band, and it will hopefully make its mark here in the US. –MATTHEW COLWELL

Band’s Website | MySpace