A dry and arid landscape envisioned on the cover belies the true nature of this music. For "La La Land", the second full length from Plants And Animals is a sensual, moving, organic document. A glorious and uplifting slab of music. A diverse and giving celebration. It also seems to be criminally under rated. Which is a shame, because few albums will give me as much joy this year as this one created by the Montreal trio. I strongly encourage you to track this album down and celebrate its myriad moods and colours. You will not regret it.

Recorded in Montreal and Paris, this glorious 11 track collection grabs your attention right from the very start. An opening enticing guitar part is soon joined by syncopated drumming and when the vocals kick in, "We're dying to be friends", I will guarantee "Tom Cruz" will be buried deep inside your cranium. Another joy of this album is the diversity. Each and every track feels different, there is no homogeneity here, as joy unfolds track by track. Such as the gentle melody of "Swinging Bells" or the almost funky "American Idol". But the two killer tracks are undoubtedly "Undone Melody" and "Game Shows". The former is a sensuous, tactile journey of sound. A slow start leads to an eruption of pure joy. One of the great moments of music in 2010. "Game Shows" is an evocative and enchanting ride. A melancholic and subtly played beauty. Then you have the rhythmical charms of "Fake It" or the push and pull of "Celebration", which builds to an ecstatic conclusion amid a cacophony of horns. The album then closes with the uproarious "Jeans Jeans Jeans", a great way to bring down the curtain on a passionate, thrilling roller coaster ride of music. Believe me, Plants And Animals are a band to be reckoned with. Ignore them at your peril.