(Me Records)

www.martinhagfors.com

Norway's Martin Hagfors has produced quite a collection of albums in his native country, but his pop perfect sound has the potential to garner much wider appeal. Like Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks, and Sufjan Stevens, Hagfors is a musical craftsman intent on creating fastidious, pristine soundscapes that are whittled down to the finest detail. Songs like "Appetite," "Scientist" and "I Need To Know" are fey to a fault, a delicate and restrained combination of posturing, piano and acoustic guitars. However, like his role models, Hagfors isn't necessarily one for restraint; strings, cello, brass, vibraphone, glockenspiel and synthesizers create a shifting instrumental backdrop that swoops and soars with orchestrated precision.

In many ways, Men And Flies is a throwback to an era when ornate arrangements were key components in rock's musical arsenal, particularly among bands like the Beach Boys, the Association and the Left Banke, groups that were all unafraid to mine a multi-hued palette.  Inevitably, that can lead to charges of pomposity and pretension, but when applied with the taste and skill Hagfors clearly holds at his disposal, it makes for immediate infatuation.

Standout Tracks: "Appetite," "Scientist," "I Need To Know" LEE ZIMMERMAN