If Wishes Were Horses

A gorgeous slice of pastoral English pop, the debut album from Reading, England's Blueboy is one of those charmed releases that make you understand the obsessions of indie rock collectors. Clocking in at under 30 minutes, the disc is nevertheless packed with gentle gems, beginning with "Candy Bracelet," a melancholic meditation that soars on a bed of shimmering, echoing guitars and turns on a deceptively simple harmony vocal from Gemma Townlet. Serving as the group's cellist as well, she takes a prominent role on "Cloud Babies" and "Fondette," adding a mournful undercurrent to the delicate fingerpicking. The quintet shows a bit of versatility with a pair of breezy bossa nova-tinged numbers ("Too Good To Be True" and "Clear Skies") which are also delightful, but it's on "Sea Horses" and "Amoroso" that the group really shines, re-creating the Johnny Marr-style jangle that so many post-Smiths groups have copied, and matching it to the hooks that so few others have managed. While the group turned in more complex (and certainly lengthier) outings on its final two releases, If Wishes Were Horses wound up Blueboy's best statement of intent, a fleeting and irresistible pleasure. ~ Dan LeRoy