Customer Reviews

Fingers Crossed

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Architecture in Helsinki struck gold in their very first release.The Aussie octet sound remarkably polished here, with their mix of twee pop and nonsensical writing -- imagine a three-way between Fiery Furnaces, Arcade Fire and Belle & Sebastian. The result might sound something like the deceptively cute "Fingers Crossed."

The intro "One Heavy February" errs on the side of twee, with catchy synths and lots of handclaps. Then it switches into the twinkly guitar pop of "Souvenirs," which sounds sweetly innocent at first. But listen more carefully to what Kellie Sutherland sings. "I've got souvenirs/but yesterday can't mean too much/have we missed an opportunity?" she sings sadly. "For what once was gold/ and once was rich/now is poor."

That sound of poignant innocence permeates the entire album, over music so exuberant, warped and playful that it's enchanting. The general sound is that of guitar pop laid over thickly with keyboard, horns, and more handclaps. They also veer into childlike whimsy in songs like "Spring 2008," and a clarinet at the start of "Imaginary Ordinary."

But the songs slowly lose their more innocent vibe, sounding more and more melody. Even the catchy upbeat "Fumble" and childlike "Where You Been Hiding" sound melancholy. It's a bit like growing up -- life may still be beautiful, but you gradually lose your innocence and unbridled joy. By the end, we have Sutherland and Cameron Bird wistfully asking "where you been hiding?"

Writer/musician/vocalist Cameron Bird reportedly said that "Fingers Crossed" was the sound of a band figuring out what they wants to do. That explains why they have the musical naivete of a band just doing what they want to do, without imitation or preconceptions. So no matter how poignant, it's amazing music.

With eight band members, Architecture in Helsinki gets to really include a lot of instrumentation -- sparkling keyboard, guitar, drum and bass. But they also include instruments like clarinet, trumpet, trombone and tuba, which add a circusy note. Just try to find other pop music that has that kind of robust brass.

And songwriter Bird makes truly amazing lyrics. At first glance, they don't seem to make much sense ("Found a flaw in the ending of a book that I've read twice/I set her straight, it's not based on your life"). But after awhile, the gleefully strange lyrics do start to make sense, as Bird and Sutherland interweave their high, delicate voices and sing about how "I wrote you a letter in capital letters/saying all that I care for, all that I care for is..."

Architecture in Helsinki are one of the most promising pop bands in years, and "Fingers Crossed" is definitely worth having, for anyone who likes the idea of an Arcade Fire/Belle & Sebastian cross.

I saw this band about a month ago at a local indie show. I had never heard of them before they played. While watching them set up, I figured I was in for a really interesting show because of the massive amount of instruments on stage. There are eight members in A.I.H., and they each play about ten different instruments. Their live show was amazing; one minute, one of the band members would be playing the guitar, and then two seconds later, he'd be on the other side of the stage, shaking a tamborine, singing, or playing the trumpet. Within hearing five seconds of their first song, I was in love with Architecture in Helsinki. Their music is amazing to listen to. I actually bought their cd in the middle of their set because I was afraid it would sell out! I was apprehensive to listen to them on cd because I didn't think anything could top their live performance, but believe me--the CD is just as great. Do yourself a favor and buy this cd, and if they come within five hours of your wherever you live, go watch them. You won't be disappointed.

I love the first Architecture in Helsinki album. Fingers Crossed is like a breath of fresh air. It is light: Meditative without being overly ponderous. Makes excellent use of negative space. The CD is always over too soon for me & I have listened to it 7 times since I received it in the mail yesterday. This nice little group of Australians have made my week. The tone palate for the album is very well blended, perfectly in fact. With many of the home done type releases which have come recently, these eclectic instrumental combinations are hit & miss, particularly in communal bands with a large number of members where the hi-fi, low-fi argument is more likely to come to a head. Not so here, every note sparkles & shimmers. The production glows & blushes like a sunrises. It's a subtly done & wonderful thing. Similarly, male & female voices seem to blend together neutrally in an inspiring way.

I listened to this entire album a good five times in the first 24 hours that I owned it. As an avid Belle & Sebastian fan, I hate to say it, but this album is much better than B&S's newest (Catastrophe Waitress). I only say this because the two groups have a very similar sound, almost as if Isobelle Campbell is singing several of the tracks. For a 'debut' album, this thing is a masterpiece.

Looking throught the other reviews, I notice a lot of references to Belle and Sebastian as well as the twee genre. While the layered production of disperate instruments ranging from trumpet to thumb piano, and soft, harmonized vocals occassionally recall Scotland's finest (I'm really being geographically referential, aren't I?), the music on Fingers Crossed is undeniably its own beast.

Though the music is always honey sweet, Architecture in Helsinki shows a lot of range on this album. Taking the amazon listening samples as examples, "One Heavy February" starts the album on a synthy, new wave note, "Souveniers" is an example of the twee influence, although the dense instrumentation (per the jacket cover, 11 instruments are used) creates a more compelling texture, "Imaginary Ordinary" is a weird haltering song -- undoubtedly the sparcest on the album -- with electronica influences, "Scissor Paper Rock" sounds like a cheesy 70's song thrown together with a cheesy 80's song, and "To and Fro" sounds like The Sea and Cake with orchestral backing.

While the listening samples show the album's range, the real highlights occur later on with pretty songs like "Spring 2008," and groovier, alomst Stereolab-esque songs like "Kindling" and "Where You've Been Hiding."

I personally think this album is awesome, but I give it only four stars, because it is a little schizophrenic. Regardless, I think it would be a great purchase for anyone whose musical interests aren't completely straightforward, so if you're not put off by track one, I think this is probably for you.

I'm reviewing this album as it comes to it's third loop at 3:50 in the morning. It was given to me by a friend several hours ago.

Most of all, i'd have to say that in my opinion, the majority's comparison to belle and sebastian seems a little extreme. i can see some threads of similarity, possibly in some of the production with horns, and the softness of the voices. some harmonic elements recall isobel's style, but otherwise, i wouldn't compare the two. if any comparison had to be made, i'd call them a softer, lighter, more structured Animal Collective.

if you enjoy cleverly put together, quirky, airy music that makes you dance around in your headphones, you'll enjoy this.

Normally I would have given this album 4 stars, as I believe in using the full spectrum of stars, and reserving 5 for the absolute end-all of all things. But since on amazon everyone is overly enthusiastic, and I don't want to be the guy who brought this great album down from the great rating it deserves, I'm going ahead and giving it 5 stars. It's not too big a crime, as this really is a awesome record.

I'm not sure what I would compare this Australian band to. They use lots of instruments in the creation of their "instrumentally heavy pop music" (as their cd vendor at the show tonight described them), so I guess a Polyphonic Spree comparison is warranted. But there are only 8 band members (compared to PS's 24), and they don't where robes, so perhaps that isn't the best analogy. Really the best comparison band I know of would be Belle & Sebastian. So here it goes: think of Belle & Sebastian but if a mix between Isobelle (of Belle & Sebastian and The Gentle Waves and her own name) and the Karolina Komstedt (of Club 8) sang all the songs rather than Stuart. And add even more instruments (think tuba, more keyboards, bongos, xylophone, sampler, etc.) Anyway, if you like Belle & Sebastian a lot, I think it's safe to assume you'll like Architecture in Helsinki too.

They also have great album art.

I literally just saw this band open for Ben Kweller less that 4 hours ago, and I bought their cd right after they got offstage. It's PHENOMENAL. They are AMAZING live too. This CD is just great.

It's like listening to a bunch of really gifted children making music...and that's a good thing. Sometimes the guy's voice reminds me of an innocent version of Billy Corgan circa Gish, but don't let that deter you. This is no smashing pumpkins...and that's a good thing. It's absolutely adorable and the perfect Sunday afternoon in the apartment music.

If you like wacky indie rock groups, then this is the CD for you. I would advise seeing AiH in concert too which will enhance your CD listening experience in the future.