Fusing fey British pop sensibilities with stripped-down orchestral charm, Parlour Steps always rides the line between wistful and upbeat. The band’s 2007 release, Ambiguoso, was certifiably dour (albeit pretty), but The Hidden Names is downright cheery in its delivery and the band is all the better for it. To describe itself, the band coined the term “thought rock,” but while this album isn’t lacking brains, it’s driven far more by the heart than the head. With swelling anthems like “Ring That Bell,” Parlour Steps is The New Pornographers (if they hadn’t become so boring) or Minus the Bear (if they hadn’t become so oblique) and The Hidden Names easily outshines both those band’s latest efforts.
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