(photo: Joe Fuda)

Last week’s post on The D’Ubervilles inspired me to explore some of the other band’s on their label, Out of this Spark, and thanks to Frank at Chromewaves, I didn’t have to go digging all that deep.  Frank reported on Out of this Spark’s 2nd anniversary show at Toronto’s Tranzac this past Saturday night, where all the acts on their  roster played and helped blow out the candles on the cake.

I was instantly drawn to Forest City Lovers, who provide a breath of fresh air and slight reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the world with quiet, simple melodies that have room to stretch and grow around some gorgeously layered arrangements.  There’s a tension running throughout the songs on the band’s second release, Haunting Moon Sinking, that threatens to erupt into a full-on pop workout.  They manage to sustain the tension and in turn make, what in lesser hands would be boring and repetitive,  compelling compositions that stimulate your cerebral cortex like a feather tickling the underside of your nose.  You could say Forest City Lovers bring a whole new sense to the phrase “tickling your fancy”.

MP3: Forest City Lovers “Monsters”
Myspace: Forest City Lovers
Buy: Forest City Lovers, Haunting Moon Sinking