Phosphorescent - Here's To Taking It Easy (From Salisbury Journal)

Phosphorescent - Here's To Taking It Easy

3:08pm Thursday 27th May 2010 in CD Reviews

Artist - Phosphorescent
Album - Here's To Taking It Easy
Label - Dead Oceans

Phosphorescent is based around main man Matthew Houck, and on this fifth studio album they enter a rather lovely indie folk space.

Emulating Great Lake Swimmers if fronted by Iron and Wine's Sam Beam, this is laid back, harmonic and gentle - music that could have been recorded at any time in the past 40 years.

Houck's voice has a wonderful plaintive quality - strong and vulnerable at the same time.

A song like We'll Be Here Soon is gorgeous, laid out like a landscape - any fan of Fleet Foxes would find a lot to love in here.

Occasionally the band head into Neil Young/ The Band space (The Mermaid Parade), although it is a reflective Neil Young rather than the rock-heavy one. The band's previous album, Pride (the Willie Nelson covers album aside), was a record that took time to grow but when it did it had its hooks in everywhere. Here's To Taking It Easy is a lovely build on Pride.

Rating 8/10
Mike Rea