The Reindeer Section

Like the Lambchop collective, the Reindeer Section features many players from different bands and backgrounds. Fortunately, the similarities end there. This recent CD finds members of Snow Patrol, Teenage Fanclub, Astrid, Mogwai, Alfie, Idlewild, Arab Strap and Belle & Sebastian, along with lesser-known acts Eva and Cadet, working together for one common cause—a great song. The music settles nicely somewhere between pop confection and slo-core, from the minor-key laden, narcotic effects of both “Grand Parade” and “Budapest,” to the genuine beauty of “Your Sweet Voice.” Such tunes as “I’ll Be Here When You Wake” leave no doubt that the talent pool represented on this effort is destined for bigger and better things. Although a Reindeer Section tour is logistically impossible, these recorded works should suffice. In a market filled with dubious “superstar” projects, this one stands out.