Balmy spring pushes through the damp remnants of winter. Rainshowers slow to a drizzle as a boy darts across cobblestones. Loping down the puddle-strewn avenue, he dodges pools of water, crossing one city side to another, hoping to see his sweetheart. His heart skips to the sounds of Crayon Fields, a sanguine band that speaks to his newfound love.
Their latest album, All the Pleasures of the World is flush with hazy tenderness. Both delicate and buzzing, Crayon Fields captures the spark of a budding relationship, that sense of endless possibility. Synthesizers warble the undertones on “Voice of Paradise” as glockenspiels, cellos, and violins layer atop one another, peaking into an orchestral lover’s ode. The strings bridge verses and a tinny guitar wriggles into the rich fog. Not sure of its footing, young love stumbles, and the guitar echoes against the fading soundscape.
Opening track “Mirrorball” ushers listeners in with a reverb-laden guitar. The airy voice of Geoffrey O’Connor gently breathes out emotions cushioned by a boy’s humble assertions. A diminutive chorus swells with warm percussion accenting the words, “I look at you and suddenly I’m a virgin in a dancehall.” The melody unfolding, cheeks redden as a couple lock eyes. Shyly, they reach towards one another, extending their hands across the euphoric sound.