“Cardinal Red“
from the album Tooth
2008
iTunes
The husband and wife tandem of Nathan and Mandy Tensen Wollery create some interesting, atmospheric melodies on this album, sounding a bit like The Cure if Robert Smith thought the keyboards were the end-all and be-all of the band. At least that’s the case with “I’m Not Afraid of Falling” which also resembles a sedate performance by The New Pornographers. The Minneapolis-based band aren’t afraid to take listeners on a ride with the initially maudlin then poppy “Lake Ice” which again recalls a Canadian group, this time Stars. They revisit this template soon after with the gorgeous, harmony-driven “Cardinal Red.“ Mandy takes the reins for the gorgeous, Björk-ish “A Nightmare” that has more quirky, ambient-leaning accents. The greatest asset this album possesses is how highbrow it is without being overly arty. A great example of this is the lush, reflective “Clean Sinks and Folded Laundry,” a roughly three-minute nugget that ebbs and flows. Ghost in the Water go totally retro though for the chipper, synth-pop of “How to Draw a Ghost.” Another keeper has to be the majestic “Pushpins and Tape.”