Danish indie rock outfit
Figurines' 2011 self-titled effort features more of the band's heartfelt, intricate melodic rock. Once again centered around singer/multi-instrumentalist Christian Hjelm's yearning high-pitched vocals, the album also features drummer/multi-instrumentalist Claus Salling Johansen and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Jens Ramon.
Figurines is a collection of sparkling, lightly produced tracks bringing to mind a mix of
the Shins' echoey alt-rock and
the Fleet Foxes' harmony-driven folk-pop. To these ends, tracks like the keyboard-inflected "New Colors" and the jangly "Lucky to Love" are catchy, literate numbers that also draw upon the band's clear affinity for the work of such '80s icons as
Echo & the Bunnymen and
R.E.M. While a few of these songs stick in your ear right away, perhaps not surprisingly for a band named after small statues, the overall tone of the album is one of detailed intricacy. ~ Matt Collar