CD reviews: Avalanche City

The man behind Avalanche City, Silver Scroll winner (for Love Love Love) Dave Baxter, asked his childhood hero, former Death Cab For Cutie guitarist Chris Walla, to mix We Are For The Wild Places and the result is a slick sophomore album that might be cloaked in folk threads but, at heart, is a pop record full of hummable ditties (Keep Finding A Way and Fault Lines for example).

Occasionally, the focus wanes to allow more mellow fare such as The Midnight/We Never Had Much, taking off just enough shine to ensure this effort remains (just) on the right side of twee.

• Avalanche City. We Are For The Wild Places. Warner Music  

• Three stars (out of five) 

Single download: Inside Out
For those who like: Lumineers, Of Monsters and Men

- Shane Gilchrist