Baby Calendar "Your Move"
By Abel Folgar
Wednesday. Apr 27, 1:22 AM
A landscape of complex voice layerings atop beautiful songs.

Ahh... the deliciously blended harmonies of Baby Calendar! Acoustic guitar, keyboard, and subtle percussion elements build a landscape of childlike innocence and wonderment in these heartfelt nine tracks. The aural chiaroscuro of Jackie Biver and Tom Gorrio’s vocals work well in this setting, pop sensibilities are explored through stripped-down, mid-tempo arrangements. Even the cover art is a simple pencil drawing. Imagine a less hectic Mates Of State and the call and response moments of early Simon And Garfunkel but disregard the innate duo-ness of those examples. The formula is best summed up in the opening line of “Hither”: “Complete this melody with simple chords and you’ll understand my words...” Their folksy indie rock is genuine.

The album’s greatest strength is the minimalism of the music as base for the slightly more complex layering of their voices. Biver’s voice has grown since her Para days, while Gorrio maintains a steady dry tenor without faulting into falsetto. Stacked or individually, their voices generate great depth out of the deceivingly one-dimensional sets. Since this recording they have added Arik Dayan on drums and their live sets foretell a bright, bright future. Standout tracks are “Green Tea” and “Within Cell Walls.” The only tangible point of contention against this disc is the repetition within the “Outro” song, which runs a little longer than I thought necessary. But such minutiae does not detract from an otherwise flawless album. Baby Calendar goes well with scotch and meaty thighs.
www.babycalendar.tk

Abel Folgar

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