Orange Twin Rec. 
The Instruments : Cast a half shadow (US,2006)***°
The Instruments is a musical group and project from Athens, Georgia, with 11 members participating, led by singer/songwriter and classically trained cellist Heather McIntosh, with lush melodies and melodic chamber arrangements with songs overshadowed by a hanging cloud of melancholy dominating with a slowly evolving cyclic minimalism. Now and then the songwriting comes to the fore, like on the beautiful “Seems so far”.
This is the group’s second album since their 2002 debut. Very nice !
The Instruments are Heather McIntosh (vocals, acoustic guitar, cello, keyboards); Will Hart (vocals, percussion); Derek Almstead (electric guitar); Scott Spillane (sousaphone, Mellotron); Peter Erchick (keyboards, background vocals); Jeff Magnum (background vocals); Hannah Jones (percussion, voice); John Fernandes (clarinet, bass clarinet); Sallie Lupis (double bass); Jeff Mangum (vocal harmoies); Eric Harris (trap kit and accordioline); Doug Owens (oboe); Scott Spillane (mellowphone and sousaphone).
