Forest City Lovers, The Artel, Kingston, 26 January 2007

May 13, 2007

Forest City Lovers, The Artel, Kingston, 26 January 2007

Sometimes, songs are so exceedingly beautiful that I almost overlook what is going on beneath the melodies and harmonies. In the case of Forest City Lovers, I was so entranced by what I heard that it took some time for it to dawn on me how melancholy the music is. There is a sadness that haunts their stunning album “The Sun and the Wind” but it is far from depressing. This isn’t music of despair, as brief moments of hope can be found throughout the songs – the appearance of horns, a joyful chorus, the tinkling of a glockenspiel – but there is longing and perhaps a bit of weariness, that informs the music. It is warm, comforting, honest, intimate and very, very beautiful.

Forest City Lovers opened for The Bicycles in January at The Artel. As I described with the headliners, the mix wasn’t ideal and some of the strength in Kat Burns’ confident vocals, as can be heard on the album, was lost as a result. Nevertheless, they played an exceptionally lovely set, drawing primarily from their album, as well as a song from Burns’ solo disc and a few newer songs. I hope you enjoy it.

Forest City Lovers, The Artel, Kingston, 26 January 2007

1. Doorsteps
2. Oh Humility
3. we like playing small, intimate shows (talk)
4. In Flight
5. my brother’s in the audience (talk)
6. Song For Morrie
7. he knows how a tambourine works (talk)
8. Don’t Go, Please
9. Waiting by the Fence
10. interesting Kingston stories (talk)
11. Ocean (title?) [update: i was way off - the title is "Country Road"]
12. Randy’s hair (talk)
13. Monsters
14. play your bass (talk)
15. Castles
16. say “oobie doobie” a bunch of times (talk)
17. Scared of Time
18. one more (talk)
19. take it slow (title?) [update - the title is "At the Border"]

You can get the gorgeous album from the band or through the purveyors of fine digital audio files, Zunior.

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