Review Summary: Following up their first record "Come, I'm a Lion!", Page France gives us yet another classic to listen to, and does so with simplistic yet complex tracks sure to please all listeners. The fact that each track is just one word is testament to what you'll
When I first searched for Page France on Sputnik, I was astonished that not only was the acclaimed album "Hello, Dear Wind" not listed, but neither was the band! Taking it upon myself, I have decided it is a disgrace to not give Page France the praise it truly deserves.
"Hello, Dear Wind" is the second full album release from Page France, and while adding a somewhat new sound, keeps the band to its attractive roots. Though in some ways not as personal as "Come, I'm a Lion!". "Hello, Dear Wind" is a great addition to a band which should soon be recognized as a key player in the Indie/Folk rock industry. These complex chords are compounded with unique sounds like a xylophone or tamberine, to add just enough to each song to make it that much more unique. From the album's first catchy and rhythmic song, "Chariot", you get a sense that Page France gives us a feeling of being somewhere anyone would want to be. The thought of playing their music with all the windows rolled down and a soft breeze hitting your face is what gives Page France an emotion that cannot be rivaled.
Following Chariot, we hear Jesus, a poetic song which starts off a bit slow with only a few sounds but soon will build and make you feel like you've been listening to the song forever. After that, my favorite and the most "windows rolled down" feeling song of the album, "Dogs", my pick for the best track comes on, with its simplistic yet overwhelmingly welcoming guitar intro, and poetic lyrics which claim "I wont say I love you cause its all been said before, lets not say it anymore, cause love's nothing here for sure," allows anyone to relate to the song that is a golden track on the album.
With a great start, the album does include some tracks which seem to just be fillers between the masterpieces. Songs like "Elephant" don't give you nearly the same feelings as other tracks on the album, but just as you start to think, "Come on, thats enough," Page France seems to agree, and does so with another gem in "Junkyard".
After a few more songs which will have you coming back for more, Up starts with its quiet chords. The lyrics of this song make you wonder why Page France doesnt have a book of poems to accompany each CD purchase.
The final song on the album being one of the best final songs of any album I've heard, "Feather", is in itself, a wrap up of the whole album, by returning to a sound heard from the first song we hear "and we will become, a happy ending," which give the listener a feeling felt from the beginning, and makes you want to start the whole thing over once its done.
Overall, "Hello, Dear Wind" gives Page France something to brag about. All the tiny wholes in the sound are automatically covered up by the greatness of so many more tracks.
