The Album Leaf's "A Chorus of Storytellers" has an ambiance of mystery and nostalgia made up of both synthesized and acoustic sounds. The album is largely instrumental and creates a smooth and relaxing atmosphere that lacks aggression.
The album seems to be reminiscent of '90s alternative rock like Moby, which is fitting considering the band's formation in 1998. Although vocals are sparse, there are still tracks, such as "There is a Wind," that introduce lyrics to the album. Vocals on this track are multilayered and seem to fade into the background.
After the exuberant energy of "There is a Wind," "A Chorus of Storytellers" again returns to a subtle, instrumental sound with the track "Within Dreams," which features electro back beats interestingly combined with piano and violin in the forefront of the track. The violin weaves in a way that seems to mimic vocals.
After an instrumental break, the album continues with "Falling from the Sun." The guitar in this track has a twangy edge played in repeating arpeggios that seems to illustrate the image of morning and sun. Instrumental solos provide a break from the swell of the vocals throughout the track.
The next two tracks, "Stand Still" and "Summer Fog," provide an interesting contrast with one another. Both are instrumental, but while "Stand Still" is the first track with noticeable drumming, particularly heavy on the bass drum, and provides a more raucous atmosphere, "Summer Fog" is a mournful, solemn tune with violin and plucked instrumentation that sounds like rain.
After three consecutive instrumental tracks, the album kicks into gear with "We Are," a track again as heavy on percussion as "Stand Still." This is arguably the most mainstream, radio-friendly track on the album. It has an identifiable chorus, it's easy to sing along to, and has a uniform rhythm, whereas some of the instrumental tracks can be abstract.
"A Chorus of Storytellers" is a unique alternative rock album that provides an interesting musical background and is a good change of pace from a typical commercial rock album.
4/5
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