Penny & Sparrow - Finch

Vinyl LP pressing. Penny & Sparrow's magnificent sixth album Finch is titled as a nod to Charles Darwin, who developed his theory of evolution in part by studying the changes that manifested over time in groups of birds that moved to different islands across the Galapagos, and it's easy to see the connection. The album finds the band reckoning with a prolonged period of intense personal transformation, a profound awakening that altered their perceptions of masculinity, sex, religion, divorce, friendship, vanity, purpose, and, perhaps most importantly, self. Deeply vulnerable and boldly cinematic, the resulting songs blur the lines between indie-folk and alt-pop, with dense string arrangements and atmospheric production underpinning soaring melodies and airtight harmonies. It's a revelatory collection, both for the listener and the performers, one that's been a lifetime in the making.