“I have been listening to The Album Leaf – quite chill. Quite chill indeed.” That’s what my friend had to say about listening to the new The Album Leaf record and I have to admit – that about covers it. The Album Leaf is a very chill band and A Chorus of Storytellers is a very chill album. If you are not familiar with The Album Leaf, the best I can do to describe the music is to liken it to a movie score (not soundtrack, score) or an airline commercial. The music is better than that, much better, but those two things come to mind when I think about what The Album Leaf sounds like. Although this album was recorded with a full band, The Album Leaf is a primarily an instrumental band producing songs layered with synthesizer blips and drones over percussion loops – meaning there is very little singing. Of the 11 songs on A Chorus of Storytellers, only four songs have singing. So if you are a person who needs to hear some human voice, look elsewhere. The songs on A Chorus of Storytellers are mellow and beautiful. The melodies are quite (most of the time) and the percussion soft. There is nothing aggressive about this album at all. I, for one, really like this album. The tunes flow in and out like a breeze and the layering of instruments (and keyboards effects) makes for an extremely pleasant listen. I particularly like the track “Summer Fog.” Contrary to the title, there may not be a more perfect song from driving to work in the early light of morning, through low-lying clouds, as the sun bounces off the snow-covered trees. If all of this appeals to you then you will probably enjoy A Chorus of Storytellers. If you need a ton of energy and screeching vocals in you music you are going to hate this.
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