Album review: Teitur, Story Music (Arlo & Betty)

The plaintive pluckings of banjo and harp are blended with the wistful bathos of wind instruments on Faroe Islands enigma Teitur's latest album. The combination brings a wry tone to "Rock And Roll Band", but fails to evoke the thrill that surely leads the hapless band to pursue its ill-chosen path. The bland "Hopeful" and irritating repetitions of "If You Wait" make an underwhelming start to the album, but by the end the more textured collaging of ambient sounds and children's choir create satisfying mystery. Best of all is "It's Not Funny Anymore", an intelligent rumination on emotional uncertainty, to which Van Dyke Parks's orchestration lends appropriately thoughtful depth.

Download: It's Not Funny Anymore; Walking Up a Hill; Monday