How on earth did I miss this band? If you have a thing for 90s mellow alt rock, this is a wonderful little gem. It's too bad I came upon them twenty years too late, and I will definitely be looking out for more albums. (I have read that their career started in the 80s, and they are still releasing albums, according to their site. At least their lead singer, Karen Peris, just released an album.) As far as the music goes, I have been told that this is their first mature album, so I thought it would make a nice introduction. I love it!! It's the sort of mellow jangly-pop you expect out of the early 90s, along the lines of the Sundays or Sixpence None the Richer. I happened upon them by listening to Natalie Merchant, who collaborated with Peris on her Ophelia album. The lyrics are more imagistic than pure description; they don't hold a political agenda but seem to prefer positive emotions and messages of hope--which is not to say that they're bubblegum. There is a simplicity here, but it's not simplistic: you can just tell that they love life, and want to spread the right message out there. Love, peace, joy. I was impressed. Yes, a little obscure at points, but then again it's not about preaching it's about listening to the music. If you can do that, I am sure that you'll enjoy this album. This is my first listen, so I don't have anything to compare this album with, but it really took me back to the day and has left me with a very good vibe.
I'm a big fan of the Sundays, and they are a fairly unique band... it's hard to find music that captures the same ethereal foggy atmosphere of that band. I heard a lot of comparisons to the Sundays when I was reading about the Innocence Mission, and thought that was very intriguing... it's not often bands are compared to the Sundays. The music is great. The vocals are as good if not better, the guitaring is similar in style and nearly as good, and the overall atmosphere of the music is spot-on. This is the kind of music that takes you to a foggy dreamland, wrapped in a flannel blanket drinking peppermint tea. I love it. If you like the Sundays, you should probably like this too.