Well-crafted, not "precious"

Certainly much of what AIH does lacks the gloom and seriousness of a lot of assemblages, but though generally upbeat-- even quirky or cute-- the tunes reveal layers of complexity that are not apparent on first hearing. Perhaps one has to be in the mood, but AIH's music holds up to more than casual listening.

gentle & pretty

what a lovely record to listen to when hungover. not that i'm suggesting one should be hungover to listen to it. just that if one happens so be hungover, this is the record to soothe you. so gentle & pretty. the lead singer's voice can get a little annoyingly (to me) whiny at times, though. but so gentle & pretty overall.

Eh? Not Available in the UK?

This album WAS available when I put it in my 'Save For Later' list, having absolutely LOVED 'In Case We Die' (which incidentally is also suddenly no longer available in the UK). Imagine my surprise when I tried buying this album that I no longer could! What gives? Please, please, please, emusic sort this out and help us legally buy the stuff we like....

Lovely ADHD Pop

This music is really fun. I am entranced by the cheery pop and variety of sounds (esp. the horns as I played once) as well as the overall distracted feel that it presents, shifting quickly from one idea to the next. In June '05 I saw them live and was blown away by their energy and their plastic cherry shaking. They packed their 8 musician on a small stage in an art gallery, sort of a physical representation of their music, a lot of sound packed into a small space.

fantastic

This is the finest twee-pop record I've heard in ages. Like an Australian Broken Social Scene, AiH is a huge collective of musicians who work in ever-shifting combinations. The overall feeling on this album is delicate and pretty, but never merely fluffy, with a strong experimental streak at times.

Architecture in Helsinki’s debut, Fingers Crossed, introduces their very appealing collage of electronic and indie pop. While there are a lot of groups out there mixing these styles, this Australian octet’s music stands out, and not just because they use tap dancing as an instrument. Even though the band uses a wide array of sounds, ranging from bass recorder to a host of analog synths and samplers, Architecture in Helsinki have an admirably restrained hand with their sonic arsenal. Most of the album trades in charming pop miniatures like “Souvenirs,” “Imaginary Ordinary,” and “To and Fro,” all of which are so quietly breezy that it would be easy to tune them out on the first few listens. That would be a mistake, however, as there is a lot to explore within the group’s songs: “Scissor Paper Rock” sounds like a Burt Bacharach song from the future; “Spring 2008″ has bouncy, almost Japanese-sounding percussion and a melody to match, along with a song title that’s far enough away to still seem futuristic. Fingers Crossed’s most striking song is “Owls Go,” which makes the most of the band’s playful minimalism and production wizardry. The track zips between lots of musical elements — including samples, choral vocals, and children singing — like a game of sonic Ping-Pong. “Kindling” is another standout that, with its big brassy choruses, is the closest the group comes to rocking out. “Like a Call” manages to be one of the album’s quietest and catchiest songs at the same time, and “Vanishing” ends the album with one of its loveliest and most expansive songs. While it’s not a perfect album — occasionally the whispery vocals become cutesy instead of cute — Fingers Crossed is a charming debut that should please anyone who likes creative indie pop. – Heather Phares