Ambient Rock

If you Google “breakfast in fur” you’ll find a bunch of images of the mid-1930s teacup sculpture made of fur created by a young surrealist artist in France. But if you scroll down a little further you’ll find photos of musician Dan Wolfe and his band mates Kaitlin Van Pelt, Mike Hollis, Chris Walker and Matt Ross, who call their musical project Breakfast in Fur. Based in a small town in New York a few hours away from the Big Apple that few of us have heard of, the 5-piece have released their second full-length, Flyaway Garden, on Bar-None Records.

Flyaway Garden is a nice mix from Breakfast in Fur that is both whimsical and hip. Maybe this has to do with their surroundings; New Paltz, NY, is just remote enough to be considered the middle of nowhere, but not a far drive from one of the nation’s best music scenes. Flyaway Garden isn’t quite as dreamy as 2013’s self-titled debut. Opening track and single “Shape” is cohesive and upbeat but still contains traces of the band’s signature dream pop sound. “Portrait” follows suit with steady guitar and drums and loose, light, whispered vocals: “If you took my clothes away / And you cut my hair / I would be a whisper in the air.”

“Lifter” is almost all instrumental with the exception of a few “ooh” and “ahh”s and provides a chance for Ross, the multi-instrumentalist of the group, to strut his stuff. You’ll hear the same experience on “Episode.” And “Cripple Creek Ferry” sounds like something Animal Collective might write.

It’s refreshing to hear a new band with so much talent, especially in this genre. Is Flyaway Garden party music? No, maybe not. Soul-searching/soul-cleansing music and something Urban Outfitters might play? Definitely.