filigrane, behutsame Arrangements, zarte, dezente Vocals und wunderschöne, leicht vertrackte Songs mit erhabenen Hooks und versteckten Refrains. Indie Folk Rock meets Bedroom/Chamber Pop. Das ist die Soundwelt von A Weather, einem neuen Quintett aus Portland, Oregon, dieser über Jahrzehnte bereits schier unerschöpflichen Szene grundguter Independent Music mit Ästhetik und Tiefgang. Chef ist Singer/Songwriter Aaron Gerber, der alle Songs geschrieben hat und akustische Gitarre und Keyboards (meist E-Piano) spielt. Dazu kommen zwei elektrische Gitarristen, ein Basser und Schlagwerkerin Sarah Winchester, die die ungemein attraktive Girl-Stimme zu den vielen Mann/Frau-Harmonien beisteuert, was dieses klasse Album prägt. Verführerische, abwechslungsreiche, detailverliebte, oft langsame (aber nicht zu langsame!) Musik mit Ähnlichkeiten zu Ida, Norfolk & Western, Winter Blanket, Low, Pale Horse And Rider, Mark Kozelek, She & Him.

(Glitterhouse)

For those who wish Iron & Wine had never left the cozy confines of Sam Beam's bedroom, A Weather flaunt a similar brand of understated, pillow-soft indie folk. Vocals are whispered and acoustic guitars are strummed, conjuring up images of early mornings and rural landscapes without directly referencing either in the lyrics. But while Iron & Wine's earliest recordings relied on the simple combination of Beam's vocals and acoustic guitar, Cove is the work of five multi-instrumentalists, including a pair of guitarists and two able-voiced singers. The resulting sound is still quiet, but it's also lush, with songs like "Hanging Towers of Baltimore" wrapping the band's co-ed harmonies around puddles of guitar, keyboard swells, and light percussion. Aaron Gerber and Sarah Winchester are the obvious leaders here, and the boy-girl interplay of their voices helps illustrate the lovers' quarrels that give Cove most if its lyrical content. The effect is both somber and soothing, especially during the slow-motion jaunt of "Screw Up Your Courage," where jazz-influenced basslines underscore quietly biting lines like "You could bring me juice and saltines when I'm under the weather and over you." It's easy to gloss over such lyrics when the accompanying music is so calming, and Cove accordingly reveals itself in layers, waiting until the third or fourth listen to disclose all its parts. From the light use of slide guitar in "Oh My Stars" to the quiet chimes and violin in "Shirley Road Shirley," A Weather slyly demand attention, making Cove a much more ambitious album than its minimalist textures would have you believe.

(by Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide)