Pigeons is the second album from Brooklyn based band Here We Go Magic; this release sees the band expanding from one man (Luke Temple) and his computer equipment to a fully fledged five piece. It is also perhaps one of the more eccentric and offbeat albums I have had the pleasure of listening to this year so far. But that’s not too surprising for a band that’s being billed to fans of Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective and Yeasayer; though they don’t quite manage to out eccentric Animal Collective.

On the whole I found the album to be a tad underwhelming, it’s not a bad album, far from it. It’s just I feel that I was somewhat tainted by hearing the second track "Collector" a couple of months ago, a track which incidentally is a wonderful little gem, that I can happily play again and again. My main problem then is that the rest of the album doesn’t really match the supreme quality of that one track. High expectations? Maybe!

All in all, it makes for a fun quirky inoffensive pop-esque album. The vocals are wonderfully ethereal and the instrumentation borders on the realms of psychedelic folk. And the lyrics? Well they are strange all in themselves, I mean "Vegetable or Native"? Say no more. There’s a fine progression in terms of sound from the first album, it certainly sounds more polished, more grandeur, with a larger sound. It's interesting to see how these tracks would come across in a live setting, as even in their original state a few do seem to drag on slightly.

I’d say this is one of those bands and albums you are either going to love or hate. Their quirkiness will no doubt irritate and confuse some, but those of you who are fans of Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear and others, give them a try. And those of you with a penchant for psychedelic folk don’t let this one pass you buy.

Download: Collector 

Review Score:

7 / 10