Rating: 4 Pulses

I wouldn’t want to be the woman who crossed Josh Foster. It’s not that he’s calling anyone out; in fact, he seems pretty internally reflective. But with Parachute Musical’s front man’s knack for putting complex emotions into pitch perfect lyrics, I’ll stay on his good side, just to be safe.

Parachute Musical fans may recognize some of Everything Is Working Out Fine In Some Town. They’ve done a wonderful job tweaking two tracks from their self-titled release (“Leave Me” has had the rough edges buffed to perfection, and the song that started it all, “Arrhythmia,” is still gorgeous) and adding new material replete with their signatures: extremely thoughtful lyrics and music and all the finesse we’ve come to expect.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with PM, their music is wordy and intricate like Rufus Wainwright, quiet like Ben Folds is quiet, emotionally appealing and just plain beautiful like Atlanta singer/songwriter Angie Aparo’s best work.

It’s a perfect mix of lyrical adroitness, sweeping classical arrangements and quirky, but perfectly executed, old-time charm.

First impressions are a pretty big deal, and the album’s title track starts the album off on the right foot, or, rather, off your feet, which is where I was succinctly knocked during the first listen to “Everything Is Working Out Fine In Some Town.” I suggest listening to it very loudly and letting the orchestral swells propel you into the rest of the album. Whew, talk about dramatic. If this is the direction PM is going then I’m on board. But, back to the rest of the album, which has more of an expected sound.

Now comes the fuzzy part. I could call the album pop-rock and I’d be right, but calling it pop-rock even some of the snobbiest music fans wouldn’t be ashamed to listen to is more accurate. I won’t even fight with all the neo-prog-rock, alt-rock and folk labels. It’s pensive and lovely, and I’m in love with Foster’s lyrics.

I’ll spare you the history lesson on Parachute Musical; this is a review after all. But I will say it’s nice to see where you guys have gone and all the best in success. I’ll be catching them up close and personal at Club 527 on Sept. 6 and then on Sept. 11 at Mercy Lounge as part of Next Big Nashville, and you can find out more online at parachutemusical.com.