ZapTown

Felix
You Are The One I Pick
kranky
Rating 3.5 out of 5
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/mybeautifulfelix

Look up the word Felix in All Music Guide and you will find an expansive list of bands and musicians who have assumed this mantra. House, rock, cajun, latin, you name it, the usage of Felix is a broad spectrum in the music world.

This Felix, however, teeters the line between soft bouquets of delicate instrumentation and coffee shop composure. Pianist, cellist and vocalist Lucinda Chau’s soft Irish accent stands out as being a more poignantly tale-weaver version of Beth Orton or Mia Doi Todd while Chris Summerlin’s guitar work beacons the gentleness of an early Geoff Farina or Songs: Ohia.

“Death To Everyone But Us” seems normal, almost too normal for a kranky imprint. The rush of piano notes floating along builds a subtle rebellion accented by beautiful melodic realizations despite Chau’s revolutionary spirit.

But for You Are The One I Pick, the revolution is short-lived and a more contemplative essence luminates from these song groupings. And what this album lacks is not within the music, nor is it within the lyrics as both encapsulates exactly what you would want from a band like this. What Felix lacks is the present. When you listen to Chau paint a picture through her words, you experience the idea of the present through visions of a past experience. “Ode To The Marlboro Man” and “What I Learned From TV” demonstrate this best.

And the album ends just as simple as when it began. You Are The One I Pick has no frills and no mystery behind the songs. And that is the way it should be, chamber pop that is elegant and enchanting. What it does is leave you with an impression of great prose and interesting textures.