Audio CD (12 Dec 2008) 
Number of Discs: 1 
Label: V2 
ASIN: B001F7IZ2C 

 1. Games 2:14               
   2. And It's Alright 5:20                
   3. With The Notes In My Ears 2:40               
   4. Esbern Snares Gade 11, 2tv 2:35                
   5. Below It 4:01                
   6. Sickness, Bury 6:05                
   7. Not At Home 3:57                
   8. There And Here 2:10                
   9. Maps 6:16                
 10. Games Again 4:44  

Home is the debut album of talented Portland musician Peter Broderick and manages the not inconsiderable feat of sounding both world weary and modestly ecstatic all at the same time. What is even more impressive is that Broderick is only 21. At his age I could barely open my parents front door and would blush violent beetroot if a girl came within twenty metres of me. Which to be fair wasn't that often. Usually because I was locked in the house. 
Anyway Broderick , clearly a more confident and talented individual relocated to Copenhagen to join Danish ensemble Efterklang where he spent a year learning the ropes so to speak on tour with the band. While doing this he found the time to pen the ten songs that make up Home. 
Using multi-tracked vocals Broderick as he says in the liner notes has concentrated on his two favourite instruments -guitar and voice, though there is also harmonium, glockenspiel organ, vibraphone , banjo and Celeste , though never all in the same song. The results are often stunning songs replete with choral majesty infused with cosy layered voices and temperate layers of instrumentation. It would have been incredibly easy to make this album overbearingly bombastic but there is real care and subtlety at work within these ten songs .Some will question the mixing by Mads Brauer and wonder why there is so little percussion , so little sonic clout. But this music isn't about heavy beats or muscular rock , it's about mood , reflection , peace and comfort .....home. Hard to get this when snares are snapping like barbecue ribs. 
The album opens with the multi harmonic "Games" before the truly lovely "And It's Alright" - a dulcet acoustic guitar led ballad with Broderick's tender slightly burred vocals. The multi-tracked harmonies are quite stunning .All in all this is one of my favourite songs of the year. Not that there is just this to enjoy "With The Notes In My Ears" is another divine ballad with a tremulous accapella fade out ."Below It" with just voice and steel guitar is far better than any song with such simple ingredients deserves to be while "Not At Home" is a more effervescent sparkle of twinkling guitar notes. 
Occasionally the album flirts with the mundane. Instrumental "Sickness Bury " is fine but at over six minutes outstays its welcome halfway through and "Maps" , another six minute plus song seems flat and lacklustre after much of what has come before. The albums ends with the reverb choral tallying of "Games Again" which brings it full circle. 
Anyone who has heard and loved albums by Bon Iver , Iron And Wine , Lucky Jim ,M Ward or Chris Mills will find much to treasure here. Much of the music is like some kind of beautific vocal benediction. Truly exquisite stuff. Your heart will be where Home is. 

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