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Toronto’s Forest City Lovers aren’t pretending – these city folk really do love their woodland themes. Whether playing a benefit for local urban canopy org LEAF or musing about life as a tree, FCL express a dual commitment to great city spaces and great songwriting.
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Kat Burns’s voice has just the right amount of ultra-fine grit to suit the band’s folky flow. It carries the sombre mood of album highlight Phodilus & Tyto (owl genera, FYI) and the spirited Light You Up, which has nothing to do with the Rolling Stones and everything to do with the glory of spring.
The foursome fill out their sound with keys and strings that never overwhelm the album’s refreshing feel, which is perfectly tailored to evenings pretending your High Park getaway is hours from the city’s chokehold.
Top track: Light You Up
Forest City Lovers play Soundscapes August 10 and the Great Hall August 12.