Hey Marseilles: To Travels & Trunks

Hey Marseilles
To Travels & Trunks
Onto Entertainment
2010-06-29

The compound word “folkestral” is displayed as the headline on Hey Marseilles’ MySpace profile, and it’s pretty much the only word you ever need to describe the Seattle seven-piece group. The tone of debut album, To Travels & Trunks, is set with a sweeping orchestral introduction, “Marseilles”. From there, accordion, cello, trumpet, and a bevy of other instruments chime in from time to time, like on “Cannonballs”, which is reminiscent of the Mountain Goats; the hand-clap drive of “Rio” and the intimate ode to lost love, “Someone to Love”. Although their sensitive boy shtick may not be anything new, Hey Marseilles knows a thing or two about wearing hearts on sleeves, and that passion is clearly evident on To Travels & Trunks.

RATING 6 / 10