Percy Farm
The End's in The Beginning
By Pras Rajagopalan

Judging by this debut, Percy Farm are first and foremost an album band. The Montreal quintet are all about creating atmosphere, shifting momentum and telling stories, using a ton of instruments and vocalists in the process. You'd be hard-pressed to pick out any singles from the pessimistically titled The End's in The Beginning — the songs are by and large, strong and consistent throughout. That said, tracks like "People of Plenty" and "Route 132" exemplify this album's key merits: the wandering philosopher narrative, eminently singable melodies and wonderfully dense pop/folk arrangements. Sure, some of these compositions could use a little streamlining but the overall sophistication of the album renders this quibble a minor one. Here's to hoping Percy Farm's end is not at their beginning. (Ships at Night)

If you can't imagine an inspired amalgamation of Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women 12 & 35" and Wowee Zowee, then you can experience it on "The Miraculous Birth of the Mystery Child", the stomping, carnival barker opening salvo on The End's in the Beginning. Montreal's Percy Farm, the gloriously ramshackle phoenix from the ashes of Shoot the Moon, is led by Daniel Schacter, who directs a wide array of creative activities with confidence, much enthusiasm, and skills to back it all up. "Mister Grinch" pulses with sweetly sinister organ and Schacter alternating his fuzzed out vocals with the crystalline pipes of former Shoot the Moon lead vocalist Nadia Bashalani. "Sarah Got Her Freedom" lovingly evokes Malkmus & Co. yet still displays plenty of its own invention, courtesy of Melissa Pipe's assortment of horns and woodwinds, Joe Grass's well-placed pedal steel, and intricate structure and arrangement. "Flowers in the Rush" is a hot and hazy finale to an album which, despite signaling the end of one band, is a stunningly accomplished beginning for another.