Arising from the same musical tree as fellow Canadian Patrick Watson, Plants and Animals are a very sophisticated, arty group that meld a wide arrange of influences. The bombastic, orchestral opener Bye Bye Bye could be considered a melding of the Polyphonic Spree, Devendra Banhart, and the Beatles, but the band nails the song perfectly. Walking such a fine tightrope though for an entire album could be a mistake, so fortunately the group offers up a panoramic plate of styles, especially on the groovy, prog rock feel of Good Friend that recalls a mellower version of the Flaming Lips. The lone snag with the track might be how string-laced and rich it becomes to close. The first true taste of classic, hippie-tinged prog rock is Faerie Dance, a slow, plodding track that might be the yin to Black Mountain's yang. The group are quite adept at changing moods, especially on the roots-riddled Feedback in the Field that sounds to be heavily influenced by early Neil Young. The record has a sizeable amount of drama or gravitas as well, evidenced by A L'oree Des Bois, which changes into a rather ethereal effort three-quarters of the way in. One of the highlights here is the nearly eight-minute waltz-rock approach behind New Kind of Love which screams to be covered by the Arcade Fire. Probably the biggest disappointment is the messy Mercy which veers from a dance-driven Afro-beat format into some haunting guitar instrumental à la Explosions in the Sky. They more than atone for it with the majestic and regal Keep It Real. [2008 saw the release of a bonus track laden edition as well.] ~ Jason MacNeil, Rovi

1		Bye Bye Bye
2		Good Friend
3		Faerie Dance
4		Feedback in the Field
5		A L'orée des Bois
6		New Kind of Love
7		Early in the Morning
8		Mercy
9		Sea Shanty
10		Keep It Real
11		Guru
12		Lola Who?
13		Trials & Tribulations
14		Guru/Sinnerman