Recitals are a 7-piece band based in both Te Whanganui-A-Tara (Wellington) and Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) and comprise Xanthe Rook (bass, vocals), Tharushi Bowatte (trumpet), Carla Camilleri (keyboards, vocals), Olivia Wilding (cello), Christian Dimick (guitar, vocals), Josh Finegan (drums), and Sam Curtiss (guitar). Even before playing the first single from their debut album Orbit I (released at the end of August on Flying Nun Records) I was intrigued by the line-up as it is unusual to find both a trumpeter and cellist in the same band, and having now listened to the single I am still intrigued, but now it is because I am wondering what the album is like.

Here we have alt-folk combining with Dunedin sound, indie and even atmospheric ethereal as well as a healthy dose of pop to create something which is timeless and could have been released at the end of the Seventies or any time in-between while there is also a very modern touch. It is clean and clear, or clunky and harsh and while the lead male vocals are ahead of the music, the delicious female harmonies are often far more in the background. The song is quite simple in many ways, but the arrangement is complex, and this makes for a fascinating listen, and the change in time signature and approach at 2:30 is both unexpected and perfect. There is a great deal going on within this four-minute number, and if this is a good example of the album then that is something to really look forward to.

Rating: 8/10

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/recitals1
https://www.flyingnun.co.nz/