With Austin City Limits only a week away, I plan to review the most recent albums by the artists I'm most excited to see. I'm kicking this off with "Leave no Trace" by world-music indie band Fool's Gold. Much like their first album, Fool's Gold produces a very agreeable brand of bright pop music by using all sorts of exotic musical instruments and influences. This time though, it's all a little more approachable being sung mostly in English.
Luke Top sings in a joyful, yelpy, style somewhat reminiscent of Ezra Koenig or Sting. The scales used on the album are not the standard pentatonic blues type that always seem to go with western rock music. Though there's a variety of flavors the music has an African and Caribbean feel. This is best demonstrated on "Narrow Sun" which includes vintage organ tones and saxes. The constant saxophones give the whole thing a mildly reggae sound.
The way it's recorded, the album is not by any means a "singles" type endeavor. It's very album oriented and very immersive.To get maximum enjoyment play the whole record but the standout numbers are; "The Dive", "Wild Window", and title track.
Grade: B+
