i guess i’ll forget the sound

"Bodies of Water don't make music in order to express themselves, to comfort or challenge those who listen, or even to augment the canon of American song. They only strive to make a noise pleasing to the divine ear. They believe that the purpose of life is to align one's individual will with that of God in both thought and deed."

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that the above quote, taken from Bodies of Water's myspace page, will be off-putting for some of you guys. Which would be a shame, because the band's new album, Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink, sounds something like the endearing sweetness of Tilly and the Wall-meets-the emotional grandeur of the Arcade Fire, if those bands were neighbors in Laurel Canyon in the late '60s. Which is also to say, it's a really good record. And while a few Christian-leaning artists like Danielson, Sufjan Stevens, and Pedro the Lion have managed to gain the acceptance of the indie music community (which typically shuns most contemporary Christian music, and rightfully so), those artists' "message" is rarely as overt as Bodies of Water's.

But about the new album: the band got some much-deserved love here and other places (Music for Robots and Said the Gramophone, to name a couple) back in 2005 on the strength of their debut EP, and the new full-length is even better. "I Guess I'll Forget the Sound" is one of the highlights, thanks in part to the undeniable moment nearly 2/3 of the way through, when the horns finally make their grand entrance:

mp3:
Bodies of Water I Guess I'll Forget the Sound, I Guess, I Guess
Bodies of Water Doves Circled the Sky

Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink comes out on July 24. It is worth buying for the song "Here Comes My Hand" alone. Download another song at the band's website.