Animal Bells is filled with whisper-soft vocals like those of the Zombies’ Colin Blunstone or, for a more modern referent, fellow Melbourne twee poppers the Motifs. The instrumentation mirrors the rich orchestration and sophistication of late-’60s Beach Boys, as do the vocal harmonies. If this had been released in 1968, it would be hailed as a soft pop masterpiece; if it had come out in 1988, a major label would have snapped up the Crayon Fields in an instant. In the 21st century, though, when the commercial climate is such that some of the best and most accomplished indie pop music is being released on small-batch CD-Rs or distributed as free downloads, the Australian indie labels Chapter Music and Trifekta paired up to bring Animal Bells to market. The constant comparisons of the Crayon Fields to the Beach Boys and the Zombies aren’t hype — the band is just that good. – Greg Adams