Candy Bars

Ah, verbiage. A professor of mine once wrote in a peer’s paper, loosely: "By cutting out the extra words this paper could have been seven pages, not 12.” This critique, though, only applies to Candy Bars’ album title, as most of the songs here make their point admirably. Hailing from Florida, Candy Bars evoke a British sound where the vocals are a strained hush and the guitars go for a lush and layered melody. Really, it’s all about atmosphere. These songs aren’t particularly dance worthy and they don’t boil the blood, but they do paint a lovely sonic picture. This is seen ably in "The Flood in Your Old Town,” which builds slowly to a short and swift climax, yet the pull of the layers works very well. Not always relying on the guitar, "Lovesong Lake” adds some keyboards and is the best song here; Daniel Martinez’s voice struggles over the depressive melody and that great melodic melancholy is finely achieved. Just like their band name, this is a treat from time to time, but too many indulgences might lead to an upset stomach.