Kingsbury Manx

The Kingsbury Manx’s overwhelming pastoral beauty suggests at times the gauzy impressionism of Monet, offering a shimmering canvas that swallows you whole in delicate warmth. With elements of psychedelica, as practiced by Love and early Pink Floyd, the chiming lilt of the Byrds’ West Coast folk, and an echo of the British Invasion’s durable songcraft, the Chapel Hill quintet’s ’60s inspirations lend an air of wistful longing for an unspoiled past. The pace is slow and lulling, but never drags, ambling along like a horse-drawn carriage, affording plenty of opportunity to admire the scenery.

The music is similarly understated, swaying like tall trees in a soft summer breeze. Singer/ guitarist Bill Taylor’s tenor fairly coos sweet and unhurried, like a comforting hand on your shoulder. The songs are impeccably crafted, with a lushness that reveals itself with each additional listen. The nuances and subtle embellishments emerge from unassuming spaces in the background. Given the success of the Shins and more recently Midlake in drawing on similar touchstones, it’s a mystery that borders on travesty that more don’t know this band’s five beautiful LPs.

The Manx was originally built from a group of childhood friends who connected during the summers while back from college. They released their self-titled debut in 2000 on Overcoat Records. Despite almost no publicity push, it was lauded by NME and Magnet as one of the best albums of the year. Two more albums and an EP followed. There’s never been much need for improvement, really, and most of the band’s advancements have been made at the margins, imbedding a few more hooks and gently tightening the songcraft. Prior to 2005’s The Fast Rise and Fall of the South, the band moved to Yep Roc and replaced guitarist Kenneth Stephenson and bassist Scott Myers with bassist Clarque Bloomquist and multi-instrumentalist Paul Finn. After a long break importuned by the members' changing life circumstances, they returned last year with the 14-track Acenseur Ouvert!, which boasts renewed focus expressed in concise songs and a bit less playing, allowing the arrangements more space to breath. The Kingsbury Manx is that sort of band that, after you first fall for them, they only burrow deeper and deeper into your heart and memory. —Chris Parker