Geoff O’Connor, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of Melbourne quartet the Crayon Fields, is a myopic boy genius whose record collection consists almost solely of op-shop vinyl LPs released before 1970. Consequently, the Crayon Fields play intricate, atmospheric pop songs that recall the minor key majesty and close-knit harmonies of 60s maestros such as the Zombies, the Byrds and the Beach Boys. Animal Bells is the Crayon Fields’ debut album, after forming in the last year of high school in 2002 and releasing two previous independent EPs. the album title refers to the animal-shaped toy bells that were used throughout the album and link its 12 concise songs. Basic tracks were recorded at Sub Studios with engineer Simon Knight, then taken home to be polished into their final shimmering shapes. The band suffered a minor setback midway through recording when Sub’s Latrobe University studios were broken into overnight, and all the Crayon Fields’ gear stolen. Thankfully, after a tense week scouring local pawn shops and Cash Converters, all of the band’s equipment was recovered and the culprits brought to justice.