The Crayon Fields Animal Bells by: Justin Pearsall Fri:02-Feb-07 Label: Trifekta Year: 2006 WB rating 75 out of 100

‘The album title refers to the animal-shaped toy bells that were used throughout... and link its 12 concise songs.’ – Trifekta Artist Biography – The Animal Bells

In an era of ultra-cool and bright and shiny there is bravery in gripping on to the action figures and slightly mutilated dolls with your grubby little opposable thumbs. While contemporaries may be off in ivory towers debating theology, Jung, Freud and Howard, The Crayon Fields sound as though they are scribbling with over-sized novelty pencils in the lounge, banging pots and pans in the kitchen, curled in a ball-like infant cocoon in front of the heater.

"The video arcade is down the street. Here we just sell small rectangular objects. They're called books. They require a little effort on your part, and make no bee-bee-bee-bee-beeps.” – Mr Koreander.

The neatest and most succinct slice of twee-pop heaven, Animal Bells is sugary, lo-fi bliss. While many an indie creator uses tape decks, glockenspiels and all manners of curious sound sculpting to erect an unexpected twist, the moments of childlike, fidgety-fingered creation on Animal Bells are essential to the listening experience. These three-and-a-half-minute-and-less popsicles of summer, youth and innocence are a gush of warm recollection and pertly optimism; spray painted with bright pastels, salmon pink and cider green.

‘Easy to grasp and fun to play, our colo(u)rful animal bells set includes four animal shapes each with three oversized nickel-plated bells securely attached. There is a fish, tortoise, swan and pig in this jingle set’ – BeBoP Kidz – Animal Bells.

‘Choir Of Tiny Boys’ opens the album with its lonely little jingle. Geoff O’Connor, songwriter and vocalist of The Crayon Fields, plays the altar boy persona well – as though, in a cathedral-sized, reverberating space, his malleable voice is revealing timeless secrets. ‘Choir Of Tiny Boys’ and second offering, ‘Would It Be So Strange?’, splash together primary colour influences of Beach Boys harmonies, Tarantino-inspired Latino themes and the aching sentiment of Belle and Sebastian’s wide-eyed world view in a happy conglomeration.

“I’m the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life” – Holden Caulfield.

All is a tangerine stream and merrily bright-eyed till the minor moodiness of ‘Potholes’, where there forms a noticeable dark cloud overhead: “When your feet became dirty/we laid the lush green carpet for you”. The slightly psychedelic busyness of ‘Potholes’ creates the contrast to the clawless kittens that open the album. At first this stark difference can be offsetting. However, with repeat listens it moulds well to the flow of the album and while ‘Potholes’ is not Animal Bells’  best track, it is a much needed component – like the trap door in Skeletor’s Castle Grayskull.

 “Over the years, I came to know a great many grownups. My opinion of them never improved. In time, I stopped showing my drawings, and never again mentioned boa constrictors, elephants, or stars - instead, I would talk about golf, money, politics, and neckties, and everyone was pleased to have met such a sensible man.” – The Pilot.

The light as fluff rhythm of ‘Helicopters’ and its rollicking, clumsy organ feels like a day in the sandpit and stirs the album back to life. Like the moodiness of ‘Potholes’, this playful aggressiveness is needed to contrast the Beach Boys-inspired, breezy, tuneful pop that rolls over the remainder of the album. ‘Helicopters’ is The Crayon Fields at their most energetic.

"Man! On the other side of the screen, it all looked so easy!" – Kevin Flynn

Despite these Day-Glo surrounds, Animal Bells is not without its share of spilt milk and teething problems, the most sinister of these under-the-bed monster moments being problematic like the consequences of a diet consisting solely of Clag glue and sand – too much of a good thing can upset the tummy. The abundance of sing-a-long melodies and breathy vocals is our Clag Glue diet. The similarity in melody can have the listener singing choruses to different songs at the wrong time and the slightly slurred and lackadaisical vocal approach fogs the lyrics, resulting in a fistful of karaoke without auto-cue moments.

“And we'll keep on being friends forever. Right, Big Mama?” – Young Tod.

Animal Bells is the soundtrack for warm memories. Born of teeter-totters and tea-party shenanigans, it is an album where, in a smiling meditation, you can float back to the easy-living life of ABCs and 1, 2, 3s.

“We’ll have a lovely time” – Geoff O’Connor.