FEBRUARY 2010 ONLINE EDITORIALS

Christmas Forest Volume 3 - Sun Child, Stay Forever

album cover

By Erik Myers

Act So Big Forest became “the little indie label that could” in 2009. Their year was categorized with quality releases (and a cred-cementing namedrop on Pitchfork).
But don’t be fooled by the merry youngsters on the paper cover; Sun Child, Stay Forever is, at times, intensely dreary. Glacial ambient interludes from Ocean Bump! and Automobile, Swift tower over the compilation’s respective halves in terms of potency and track time. Thrifty Astronaut drifts over a listless vocoder on “The Vampire Blues (New Year).” There’s no one less celebratory than Samuel Graf, formerly of Smile and a Shoeshine and now shining on as Sam!! Well Hell. On his yokel carol “Let Them Bells Ring,” he pleads in a watery tone for God-given death. It’s a solid track, more lamentable than disturbing.
Graf isn’t the only established name among the roster here. Otem Rellik’s “Christmas in New York” is a tale of isolation peppered with synth twinkles, while Candy Claws’ “Snow Girl” layers intimate murmurs onto the harmony of a wind-up music box. Both tracks are anticipatory tickles of both artists’ upcoming records.
But the standouts here are the ASBF newcomers and lesser-knowns. The gorgeous soprano of Emily Fehler is easy and elegant, whereas Roland Eldridge sings with tact and charm. Lastly, Firebreather’s intensely cute “I Belong To You” presents the rare opportunity for indie fans to connect musically with easy-listening mothers and Ke$ha-clocked siblings.
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