While Cedars hail from the capital of the United States, they feel like they come from the capital of the United Kingdom. This isn’t just because their Another Season EP has track titles that bring to mind Britpop all-stars Blur with "The Great Escape" and "Song #7". Cedars have a driving, expansive, and melodic sound, which has been as popular in Great Britain as British music has been in America. For a band with only one other EP under their belt (2004’s Safety In Numbers), they’re remarkably mature. Cedars don’t need to push what they’re feeling down your throat; instead, they just lay it out there for you to hear, and that makes it all the more affecting.
Unsurprisingly for an EP, Another Season begins with probably its strongest track, "This Century", but the release is not some glorified single. "This Century" also serves as a moving opener, growing into its size both effortlessly and determinedly. The following "Holiday for the City" provides a good counterpoint in its more level simplicity. Cedars may cover more emotional territory with the sad "Lamb" and the sweet "The Great Escape", but they reach their emotive pinnacle with the poignant "Black Book", which has just the right amount of sentiment, and just the right amount of space.
Cedars go a lot slower, and much more atmospheric, on the final two tracks of Another Season, "Arrivals/Departures" and (the unimaginatively titled) "Song #7". Both are stripped down to barebones, except for a haunting background, and then flesh out in their second halves. Both also get more interesting then, especially "Arrivals/Departures", which is all the more impressive, as the latter part is "only" an instrumental.
While Safety In Numbers got little U.S. attention outside of their DC-area, its single "Fleets" did receive U.K. airplay (under British label Bracken Records), and it’s no surprise Cedars would go over well on that side of the Atlantic. This isn’t to say that the band is some retread of Doves or The Dears: if Another Season sounds like good Anglo-indie, that’s because right now there’s a lot of great music coming over there – not for the first time – and at this moment there are a lot of great bands in America that match right up – not for the first time, either.
