For most seagulls, it is not flying that matters most, but eating. So begins Richard Bach’s 1970 philosophical novel “Jonathan Livingston Seagull.” But the titular bird loved to fly more than anything else.
Jonathan’s passion for flight separates him from the rest of the flock and eventually pulls him into a higher plane of existence. His adventure and yearning are recalled by name on “Mount Aerie,” a potent approximation of flying from folk group Einstein’s Dreams.
As one of the key tracks on the band’s debut “Flight Manifest,” “Mount Aerie” typifies the group’s specialties: chamber-pop swells in the vein of early Sufjan Stevens, a naturalistic and perhaps even pantheistic point of view and music that presents as easy listening but reveals hidden depths. Indeed, the band calls its genre “environmental indie folk.”
Led by musician Eric Heveron-Smith (who plays about a dozen instruments), the band features contributions from vocalist Julia Weatherholtz, banjoist Benny Bleu, Mambo Kings’ Tony Padilla on congas and, frankly, too many other talented musicians to list here. The cumulative effect is palpable and striking — “Flight Manifest” is a highly considered document that remembers to have some fun in the arrangements.
The looser moments, like on the exploratory “Don’t Go to Mars” and the breezy “Crane Song,” make an exceedingly pleasant listen. Heveron-Smith’s voice is smooth and gentle, pairing nicely with flugelhorn and yacht-friendly percussion. “Crane Song” could fit snugly on Nick Drake’s “Bryter Layter.”
“Mount Aerie,” propelled by a circular acoustic guitar riff, conveys the complexity of flight best. There’s anticipation and stillness and perhaps even trepidation. But the wonder overwhelms.
