Hearts+Horses: Park Avenue Music (Clairecords)
release: May 13, 2008
style: experimental acoustic/electronic indie
[rating: *1/2] Let's see if we can get this straight. Park Avenue Music changed their name to Hearts+Horses and named this record Park Avenue Music. Or is it still Park Avenue Music and the record title is By Hearts+Horses? Silly kids, tricks are for rabbits. The music is tougher to comprehend. This boy and girl from Sacramento have made an awkward record that exists in its own universe, where down is up and up is down. Unlike their pleasant 2002 release, this effort has very little structure, even though the duo applies a very similar line-up of classical piano, a quiet sparse croon and sputtery glitch-tronics. Here it doesn't gel, earning half a star for at least being adventurous. Puzzling. -Kenyon