Kevin Bronson on July 29th, 2010

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If the forests made music, it would sound like Colorado’s Candy Claws. The duo of Ryan Hover and Kay Bertholf, which expands to a thicket of musicians when they tour, trade in lush, intricately arranged orchestral pop with vocals so hushed you need to wait for the wind to die down to hear them. They’ve taken the nature thing seriously – their sophomore album “Hidden Lands,” out last week, is intended as a musical companion to Richard M. Ketchum’s illustrated book “The Secret Life of the Forest.” Even without that volume, though, it’s pretty rapturous, especially with the headphones on. A chorus of leaves, rustling.

||| Download: “Sunbeam Show”

||| Live: Candy Claws plays Spaceland on Friday, supporting L.A.’s Pepper Rabbit [background].

Photo by Karen McCormick