Ear candy - that's the phrase I'm looking for. It's not often these days that an album turns out to be a confection for the jaded ears of a reviewer but this, the fourth album from Girlyman, brought sugar and stardust into the room.
Maybe it is the care that has clearly gone into its creation that makes it special. It doesn't sound rushed. It doesn't sound squeezed into whatever economic and stylistic constraints that most albums I hear suffer from. "Could Have Guessed" sounds so mellow and lush that it easily hides the regret portrayed by the lyrics while "Nothing Called Home" shows an elegance that belies the radio friendly nature of the song and just to show some bounce, the band positively romp through the old time pleasures of "My Eyes Get Misty" with precision and verve. If I had to pick a favourite - and that's a difficult task given the quality on show - I'd go for gloriously spiralling "Storms Were Mine".
A Peter Paul and Mary for the 21st century? If you still think there is a better world out there then you might well agree that Girlyman are just that. Even if you don't, you'll still find this an excellent album for it has the mark of quality stamped all over it.
Available from iTunes and CD Baby.