Loyal EF readers may remember Pale Young Gentlemen as one of our very first Band of the Week subjects almost a year ago. For that particular piece, I tried my hardest to listen to their stellar self-titled debut album without interference or persuasion from outside sources, i.e. no thumbing through others’ reviews in the vain hopes of instead arriving at a “pure” opinion. I failed, but not for lack of trying; I mean, just look at the gushing reviews that greeted this allegedly “unknown” band from Madison, WI.

And rightfully so, for that album was a breath of fresh air, an incredibly inspired way to introduce themselves to the broader world. The question on my mind was pretty simple then: what would they do next, and if it trumped their debut, would we even be able to tolerate the sheer mass of critical adulation that might trail in its wake?

Well, it’s now a year later, and we’ve gotten our hands on the sophomore album, Black Forest (Tra La La) (out tomorrow) and….

Cue ominous music and hear the cacophony of lingering questions suffocate the room….is it a case of textbook sophomore slump? A retreading of familiar ground or conversely the dreaded “weird for weird’s sake” (cough cough Some Loud Thunder) approach?

No, no, and no. What it is, quite simply, is an astonishingly assured and fully realized ALBUM. Not a collection of songs or singles or fragments, but a cohesive whole in which each successive song builds off of the one before - in mood, style, lyrical subject, and dynamic scope - to create a wildly cinematic and engrossing record. It’s a soundtrack to a masterpiece film that hasn’t been shot yet, an album that gets stronger as it progresses and with repeated listens; it’s damn well near flawless and scoffs at the shadow of its predecessor.

And though the trademark of Pale Young Gentlemen’s sound is intact - Michael Reisenauer’s instinctual croon, lush passages of strings, dulcet backing vocals - there is just something noticeably different that separates it from their debut (not to mention most anything else you’re likely to hear this year). There’s a beating heart underneath all of these songs, and it demands your attention.

So let’s revisit the question posed above. Black Forest (Tra La La) does in fact trump their debut, yet I haven’t felt trapped by the landslide of adoring reviews. And I’m wondering….why? Overwhelm us with superlatives, spackle their names on every top 10 list, please do it, please. We need to feel that the world is still just, okay? Granted, the album isn’t even out yet, but it will be interesting to see the critical reception to a band that is stretching its comfort zone, broadening their horizon, and serving up an incredible second helping.

Listen to their wonderful first single below - which is rapidly becoming one of my favorite songs of the year - and commit the tour dates to memory. Hopefully, it will be very crowded wherever you see them, and if it happens to be New York, circle TOMORROW night on your calendar…

Listen: “The Crook Of My Good Arm”

Tour Dates:
06 Oct 6 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks
07 Oct - New York, NY @ Pianos
08 Oct - Philadelphia, PA @ M Room
09 Oct - Washington, DC @ Velvet Lounge
10 Oct - Winston-Salem, NC @ Elliott’s Revue
11 Oct - Charleston, SC @ Village Tavern
12 Oct - Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor
13 Oct - Atlanta, GA @ Lenny’s
14 Oct - Athens, GA @ Caledonia Lounge
15 Oct - Nashville, TN @ The End
16 Oct - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
17 Oct - Indianapolis, IN @ Melody Inn
18 Oct - Evanston, IL @ SPACE
19 Oct - Chicago, IL @ Schubas
22 Oct - New York, NY @ CMJ Planetary Showcase @ Rehab
23 Oct - Hamden, CT @ The Space
25 Oct - Burlington, VT @ Radio Bean
26 Oct - Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East
28 Oct - Cleveland, OH @ The Matinee
29 Oct - Cincinnati, OH @ Gypsy Hut
30 Oct - Memphis, TN @ P&H Cafe
01 Nov - Houston, TX @ Avant Garden
02 Nov - Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn
05 Nov - Lubbock, TX @ The Bright House
06 Nov - Albuquerque, NM @ Amped
07 Nov - Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress - Scooter Rally
09 Nov - Los Angeles, CA @ The Knitting Factory
10 Nov - San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern
12 Nov - Portland, OR @ Someday Lounge
13 Nov - Seattle, WA @ Comet Tavern
14 Nov - Spokane, WA @ Empyrean Coffeehouse
15 Nov - Boise, ID @ Neurolux
16 Nov - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
17 Nov - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
18 Nov - Omaha, NE @ PS Collective
19 Nov - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
20 Nov - Iowa City, IA @ The Industry
21 Nov - Minneapolis, MN @ The Nomad
22 Nov - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon

*above photo courtesy of Christina Hensley Photography

Visit Pale Young Gentlemen on MySpace.