This Is for the White In Your Eyes (Bonus Track Version)

iTunes Review

COYB is the creative output of Denmark’s Jannis Makrigiannis. Not as bombastic or showy as certain orchestral pop bands of the day, Makrigiannis developed the material here on his own while living in Greece, later pulling Copenhagen-based friends together in the recording process. Whether that explains the more contemplative nature of this intimate and elegant music we don’t know, but throughout this full-length debut, we’re treated to quietly thrumming keyboards, funereal strings, and Makrigiannis’ haunting and haunted, reverb-wrapped falsetto that effectively competes with any 12-piece band. From the gathering storm that is “Hollow Talk,” with its reluctant pace and resonant piano and cello, to the Fleet Foxes-heartache of “Claustrophobia,” or the oddly retro “Action/Reaction,” with its bongos and swirling dance beats of early ‘90s Britpop, Choir of Young Believers is joyfully spreading the faith and giving indie pop fans something to exalt in. As a bonus treat, iTunes offers 2008’s Burn the Flag EP as part of the package. Can we get a hallelujah?!