The Left Banke Too often seems to be passed off as a secondary work to its predecessor, but such is not the case. It's simply brilliant. Absent is the prominent harpsichord and key work of Michael Brown, but nonetheless the album is packed to the brim with wonderful harmonies, tighter playing and heavier 'baroque' production than their debut. There are so many fantastic moments on this record, from the dramatic and gloomy 'Dark Is the Bark' to the perfectly orchestrated pop psych of 'Nice To See You' and most everything in between. Band member Tom Finn who had no writing credits and limited contributions on the first Left Banke record seemed to really come through in this outing and provided some excellent songwriting and playing. His McCartneyesque bass work is prominent throughout the majority of the record along with bits of tasteful 12-string guitar as highlighted in the delicate ballad 'Sing Little Bird Sing'. This album was not rushed by any means which probably helps it in the long run, but was hurtful to it's immediate success as the sound it projects was fading out of the spotlight by the time of its release in late '68.
Original copies of this record are not very economical these days, but thankfully we have Sundazed who continues to please...
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