Any band that puts a photograph of a three-person sweater (three head holes, six arms, one sweater!) on their album cover is alright by me.
The fact that Brooklyn-based band Pearl And The Beard puts out a brand of folk-inflected, sunshiney, introspective indie rock makes them all the more excellent. Tracks are laced with three-part vocal harmonies, as Jocelyn Mackenzie, Emily Hope Price, and Jeremy Price take the lead in turn.
From raucous, foot-stomping jams like "Reverend" and "Douglas Douglass" to hauntingly sparse tunes including "Swimming" and "Black Hole of Calucutta," the album flows between lush instrumental displays and the kind of restraint that suggests that this trio of musicians has a rather good idea of how to make an impact. And just try listening to "Sweetness" without giving in to the urge to clap your hands to the beat.
Check out their most recent effort
Killing the Darlings (and the band members in the three person sweater!) over on their
website.