If you were paying close attention at this year’s South By South West (which I wasn’t, no thanks to the 100 or so trips to the street-side bratwurst vendor), you might have noticed a band called The Fairline Parkway playing Habana Calle 6 one evening.

But in case (like us) you didn’t, we’re here to catch you up. The Fairline Parkway are, essentially, the product of Zachary Okun and Raj Gadhia, who recorded a debut album some time ago before splitting ways. Now, finally, the band have prepared a second album worthy of making up for years of time off. A Memory Of Open Spaces, which is due this month, is just that: melancholy songs coming from a wide open space full acoustic guitars, tambourines and strings (and a few horns!), all wrapped up in the warmth of the vocals. Okun, who moved out West (that’s a phrase I’d like to use more often), gets the credit for the top-notch recording, and makes it out to play with the band live as much as possible, I’m told.

This track, “Westward Bound,” the first on the album, is a fairly accurate representation of the album as a whole. It’s nothing too fancy, perhaps like Band of Horses with all the high-energy space-pop (and reverb) taken out. My first inclination was to make a Jeff Tweedy comparison, although the music is much more soothing than Tweedy’s poignancy would ever allow, although, the album does have some of the subdued energy of calmer Wilco songs - always on the edge of taking off but keeping it together, leaving the songs all the better for it.

To describe this song in to much detail would detract from it. Just hit play (after the jump).

The Fairline Parkway - “Westward Bound”

It’s too early to pick anything for the year end lists, but I am compiling albums for my potential road-trip to Chicago. Guess what tops that list currently?*

A Memory Of Open Spaces is out this May on The Kora Records

Websites
[myspace]

Don’t forget, if you’re into these daily mp3’s, subscribe to the Daily Dic. You’ll never have to leave home again!

*The answer is A Memory Of Open Spaces, don’t be a smart-ass.