Perhaps The Cherry Tree Parade should have considered naming their EP after the second track on it, “Perfectly Polyphonic.” Throughout their five-song debut the Kansas City, Missouri quartet weaves various themes, melodies and “elements of life” but the record never sounds cluttered or crowded. The master of polyphony himself, Palestrina, would approve — though there is a lot going on both musically and lyrically, the components are clear and well-balanced and never lend themselves to excess or disarray.
In fact, there is a good reason why the EP is self-titled. The five songs are an account of a fictional man’s life with “all the songs [being] written about the story of the Cherry Tree Parade.” Jon and Matthew Collins, brothers who founded the band, also write poems, short stories, and screenplays, so it’s no surprise that their songs should be narratives as well. The stories float beautifully on top of delicate piano-based indie pop laced with guitar, synths, and electronic blips, occasionally graced with oddities such as banjo and glockenspiel. The thoughtful, sometimes wry lyrics are often enhanced by the vocal harmonies of the Collins brothers and now departed bassist Abby Livingston-Shelburne.
“Get Down and Other Metaphors” begins with its charmingly uneven chorus and the unsettled instrumentals underneath match its anxious lyrics about teenage sex. The closing lines “Why does He look / Does He look at us that way? / He’s just a name on a page / And a face in a frame” (“He” referring to Jesus Christ) are cleverly tongue-in-cheek, being presented by a prim church chorus of Collinses backed by organ. “Pity Party for Penny,” which opens with the lyrics “I picked a plot among the fireflies / So your light would never fade / But you’ve been gone so very long / That roots grow in place of veins,” is saved from sadness of topic by its musical upbeat-ness — the track is rife with banjo, whistling, shakers, and off-beats.
The Cherry Tree Parade presents a strong debut and its smart lyrics paired with its smart music would satisfy even the most ardent classicist — Palestrina included.