There has been a lot of hype surrounding the Choir Practice’s debut album. This brought me to believe that a linear picture was a sarcastic pure white esthetic from dirty hipster chicks. Well, I was wrong, unless they hide it really well. As the first song started with a lame pop guitar melody, followed by crammed glittering white christmas female vocals, I waited for something interesting to develop, but after the fifth song, my hopes were down. It was quite difficult to listen to the album through to its end. I wondered why so many reviews underline group leader Coco Culbertson’s (bassist from the Gay) supposedly original choir idea. Perhaps all those critics get excited seeing a bunch of indie pseudo-cool musicians making utterly uncool music. This so-called innovative organization seems to be based on image rather than music. Mint Records definetly hit a great marketing coup by releasing an album with some of their best-selling artists (the Gay and the New Pornographers). Some people will love this simply because they really, really want to love it.
Now, I may just be the wrong person to review this genre of music. Most of the artists in the Choir Practice are venerable and talented local musicians. So, I suggest you don’t get influenced by who’s in the group, but rather get this album if you love thick, soft female vocal arrangements accompanied by subtle, clean pop music arrangements. I personally can’t hack it, but still, it’s a very talented group of musicians. The name is appropriate, though; it sounds just like a choir practice to me.