(Constellation, Oct. 9, 2007)

Montreal’s Constellation Records is in the midst of an admirable fall season (read the Vic Chesnutt review here), and with Tiny Mirrors, the latest from Toronto musician, Sandro Perri, it just gets better and better.

I first became familiar with Perri’s music through his alias, Polmo Polpo, whose 2003 record, the aptly titled Like Hearts Swelling, is a warm and encompassing instrumental affair. That said, fans of Perri/Polpo no doubt noticed the beginnings of a fundamental shift with the release of last year’s Sandro Perri Plays Polmo Polpo, an EP re-visiting the much-lauded Polpo tracks. For example, the song “Sky Histoire,” present on both releases, exhibits a particularly telling transformation, as the original is a 13 minute string driven instrumental, while 2005 saw the track released as an acoustic and horn-laden 4 minute number complete with Perri’s ghostly vocals. This transformation is brought to its logical conclusion on the largely acoustic and vocal driven Tiny Mirrors, and, while supporters more keen on sprawling instrumentals might be disappointed, those who stick around will be gifted with an inviting album that is airy, melodic and intoxicating.

A pleasant record, plain and simple, Tiny Mirrors, is light, smooth and subtly uplifting. It’s the sort of album that makes you want to crack a bottle of wine and relax under your favourite tree as you dream of undersea wheat fields. Exhibiting a similarly ethereal vocal delivery to that of Patrick Watson (this year’s Polaris Prize Winner, for what it’s worth), there’s also a hint of rootsy folk in the melodies—think Iron & Wine doing Andrew Bird, tempered by jazz. Of course, where I found Patrick Watson’s latest release, Close To Paradise, frustrating due to its lack of consistency and tendency to meander, Tiny Mirrors is a much more focused affair whose agreeable mood and well-established accompaniment lends itself to full album listens as opposed to simply foraging for the standouts.

Of Course, that isn’t to say that there aren’t any standouts to be found. Album opener, “Family Tree,” for instance, captivates the moment the subtle horns make their appearance, followed by “City of Museums,” which teases with its intermittent attempts at chugging runway momentum, only to float softly to the ground like so many feathers, and “White Flag Blues,” with its sweet and drifting melody, is offset by a shrill and piercing electric wail that throws a welcome wrench into the accompaniment.

All told, Tiny Mirrors is an album that necessitates the right mood and deserves to be enjoyed from start to finish. Intoxicatingly calming and serene, it is a sweet, sophisticated and delicate release that furthers the strong reputation of both a respected musician and a revered label.

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Take a listen to some tracks from Tiny Mirrors on Sandro Perri’s unofficial Myspace Page or buy the album digitally here. Also, you can catch him live at Tranzac in Toronto on Oct. 17.