Four sensitive young men, three with beards, a misty-eyed lyricism that (according to their website bio) evokes "magical landscapes where horse-like creatures run wild across velveteen fields".
This can only be American new-folk complete with gentle psychedelics and just a hint of indie rock.
Not so weird as to annoy the neighbours and enough of a sixties throwback vibe to broaden the audience base.
"In the misty morning I'll be here with you" reassures singer songwriter Garrett Hobba on the opening track, Phoenix.
Soaring harmonies and chiming guitars back up this refrain. The Soft Hills are from Seattle and on this track, the best on the album, they sound identical to near neighbours, Fleet Foxes.
Most of the songs on the album settle for this cosy pastoral mood although mid-way through they experiment with a heavier sound such as on Tidal Waves where Hobba treats us to his Thom Yorke impersonation.
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Their lyrics tend to be a bit on the flowery side and it's hard to take seriously twenty-somethings getting nostalgic for Days When We Were Young And Free ("when nobody told us what to do") - does that mean when they were ten years old?!
For the final four tracks we are safely back in a mellow frame of mind so by Return To Eden we are invited to run through fields and contemplate cosmic streams like hippies of yore.
This is not a bad album but the band's tendency towards ethereal mumbo jumbo makes them more Dave Crosby than Neil Young, more Travis than Radiohead and finding a few harder rocks among the rolling hills would have made for a more challenging musical experience.
The Soft Hills' Website
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