The term "Elephant 6" gets thrown around a lot in reference to Maryland band Page France, and it's an easy association to make. Though there are no formal ties between the band and the late-1990s psych-pop collective, there are enough similarities in sound to raise the comparison.

Band leader Michael Nau writes catchy, somewhat quirky and decidedly twee songs that are supported with instrumentation that is both sparse and heavily arranged. Translation: while there is a lot of space in these arrangements, there are a lot of sounds contributing to the overall presentation of the songs. On the band's new disc, ...and the Family Telephone, the result is a collection of sunny, hummable tracks that are full of hooks.

Over the course of 14 songs here, the band doesn't vary things much in terms of style or dynamics, and that gives things a tendency to drag as the album progresses. But individually, the songs are almost uniformly good, and taken in bite-sized chunks of three or four songs, the disc is a rewarding listen.

The quintet is prolific, releasing five discs in four years. Though I had heard the name before this new one showed up in my mailbox, I'd not heard the band. If the quality of ...and the Family Telephone is any indication, I won't be the only one finding out about Page France in 2007.

MP3: Hat and Rabbit

Labels: music, TuesdayTuneup