BRONZE AGE

The Kingsbury Manx return after three years with their sixth album, pushing their unique blend of folk-pop melodicism farther out into the reaches of psychedelia and even '70s prog rock territory. Bronze Age is their most diverse record yet, striking a nice balance of uptempo rockers soaked with Mini-Moog and effects-drenched guitars (Future Hunter, In the Catacombs, Custer's Last), alongside the more acoustic based ballads augmented by the warmth of trumpets (Handsprings) and strings (Glass Eye). Their sound has gone wide-screen yet still focuses on the plaintive vocals and fragile melodies of main songwriter Bill Taylor. The beautiful packaging features the paintings of M. Scott Myers, whose stark Iceland paintings series perfectly captures the feelings of universal loneliness and longing evoked within these 11 songs.