Octopus Project: Hello Avalanche

Label: Peek-a-Boo Records

A lovely, beguiling and thoroughly enjoyable album. The Octopus Project have been tearing up the festival circuit lately, most recently here at CMJ, and you can see why. Hello Avalanche is their third full-length, and what an avalanche this music is, an absolute stunning array of sounds and instruments, from ragged guitars to soothing electronics to brass, keys, and strings, leading to some truly fresh and original music. The real star of the show is the double-tracked Theremin, used here in ways I’ve never heard before, coming off as angelic, quivering voices. Miraculously, all these instruments never lead to a cluttered sound, thanks to the expert musicianship of Josh Lambert, Yvonne Lambert and Toto Miranda, who keep the proceedings tight and melodic. Many high points I could cite here, but my favorite is “I Saw the Bright Shinies,” a sweeping epic. The album is all instrumental save for the last track; it’s a little bit of Four Tet and Amiina with the crescendoing structure of Explosions in the Sky. Meet your favorite new band, folks, the Octopus Project: Hello Avalanche is shaping up to be one of the sleeper hits of 2007. (James)