Avalanche City - We Are for the Wild Places (2015)

Tracklist

01. I Need You
02. Keep Finding a Way
03. Fault Lines
04. Inside Out
05. The Midnight / We Never Had Much
06. Wild Places I
07. Rabbit
08. Don't Fall Asleep
09. Little Fire
10. Giving Me a Sign
11. Wild Places II

Avalanche City has, in my mind, always sat with the Mumford and Sons and Lumineers of the folk-pop world, with those whimsical melodies and high-pitched vocals floating over building festival drum beats. Dave Baxter's sound is not particularly fresh or unique, but it is catchy as hell and anything that sounds this summer-filled is hard not to like. The second album from this one-man-band stays in the folk realm, but strays toward an Of Monsters and Men sound, adding a broader range of instruments and lyrical exploration toward heartbreak and starting over. Baxter once said his first album was just throwing things out to see what stuck, and this album feels like he found that and ran with it, but didn't necessarily branch out with anything else. And maybe that's playing it safe, a smart move for a lone Kiwi in a heavily saturated genre, still trying to find his feet. But, it's also just a bit played out. That said, within that there are still stand out tracks. Like the simplistic Wild Places I, with its chanting, stripped-back track and melodic chorus. Or the more restrained, melancholy Giving me a Sign, or even just tracks like Little Fire, which still do the same old folk-pop thing, but do them so well it's worth noting. Overall, not a lot new to offer but still an enjoyable listen and home to a few potential summer anthems.

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