The Forest and the Trees - The Forest and the Trees

Joel and Linnea Edin are The Forest and the Trees, a Swedish husband and wife duo creating effervescent adult indie-pop replete with lofty melodies, laptop beats and sweetly ethereal vocal harmonies. Their official bio assesses their self-titled debut album as "a technicolor burst of Swedish sunshine" and we would have to agree. Just released in Europe and without a U.S. distribution deal, The Forest and the Trees is the ideal springtime soundtrack -- all that's missing is the gentle chirping of birds and the sounds of children playing in the background. Fortunately there's some seriously effective musical heft at work here as well, balancing out any twee-like tendencies with a sound that draws on the pair's self-identified influences as diverse as The Cocteau Twins, Sufjan Stevens and Rufus Wainwright.

Linnea's airy, girlish vocals bob gently on the surface of Joel's grandly dramatic folk-pop, spacious electronics and plucked acoustic instruments meshing loosely for an atmosphere of bittersweet whimsy. "In the Summer" reminds us of the lushly elysian drama generated by fellow art-popsters Clare and the Reasons, all radiant cabaret melodies that seem to know exactly where to go, one glorious note after another. Aided by David Lindvall (bass) and Ola Hultgren (drums) from local Stockholm compatriots Loney Dear, songs such as the frisky "To the Forest (I Need Some Peace)" and finespun music box waltz "The Barber" flutter and dart on gleaming gossamer wings. Recommended. (Stream the entire album at The Forest and the Trees' site.)

Myspace  Artist Site

The Forest and the Trees - "In the Summer" (from The Forest and the Trees)

The Forest and the Trees -  "To the Forest (I Need Some Peace)" (from The Forest and the Trees)