Pitchfork

The Essex Green have a knack for soundtracking one's journey away from the day-to-day grind and off to to a land of daydreams. The band have increasingly involved a bit more twang in their folky, psychy soft pop, but the result remains the same: uncontrollable humming and the gentle rocking of your world.

The next dose o' soft pop goodness from the trio of Jeff Baron, Sasha Bell, and Chris Ziter will come next Tuesday, March 21, when Merge will release the third Essex Green album, Cannibal Sea. If you pre-order it from the Merge website, they'll throw in a free Essex Green poster and luggage tag!

Cannibal hear:

01 This Isn't Farm Life
02 Don't Know Why (You Stay)
03 Penny & Jack
04 Snakes in the Grass
05 Rue de Lis
06 Cardinal Points
07 Rabbit
08 Uniform
09 Pride, The
10 Sin City
11 Elsinore
12 Slope Song

After a cold winter's rest the band will jump on the touring treadmill this week, with a record-release show tonight in Brooklyn followed by a trio of SXSW appearances. Then they'll head to Europe to revel with the Shout Out Louds, before returning to America for a few dates in late April and early May. A full North American tour is in the works.

Cannibal see:

03-15 Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw *
03-17 Austin, TX - Pok-E-Joe's (Merge/Sub Pop SXSW day party) @$
03-18 Austin, TX - Levi's/Fader Trading Post
03-18 Austin, TX - Antone's (Merge SXSW showcase) @#
04-05 Bremen, Germany - Lagerhaus +
04-06 Hannover, Germany - Musikzentrum +
04-07 Erlangen, Germany - E-Werk +
04-08 Heidelberg, Germany - Karlstorbahnhof +
04-09 Cologne, Germany - Kulturbunker Mulheim +%
04-10 Munster, Germany - Gleis 22 +
04-12 London, England - 93 Ft East +
04-28 Chicago, IL - Subterranean &
04-29 St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
05-03 Portland, OR - Towne Lounge ^
05-04 Redding, CA - The Dip ^

* with Isobel Campbell
@ with Camera Obscura, Robert Pollard
$ with the Brunettes, Kelly Stoltz, Eugene Mirman, Band of Horses, Britt Daniel, Patton Oswalt
# with White Whale, Annie Hayden, Superchunk
+ with Shout Out Louds
% with the Art of Fighting
& with Tapes 'n Tapes, Brighton MA
^ with Irving