Page France Enchant Philly

While Page France leader Michael Nau may single handedly bring back muttonchops one day, he might be happy enough to revive deft songwriting instead. The Maryland-based quartet, who craft imagery-heavy lyrics sometimes meditating on Christian themes, played a short set last night at the North Star Bar. Starting with "Junkyard," the band swept through seven more songs, including the relatively obscure Randy Newman tune "Beehive State." Princess of plaid Whitney McGraw contributed glockenspiel, keyboards, and dreamily sung backup vocals, and she helped establish the band's subtle and sweet goofiness. The quartet closed with Hello, Dear Wind's opener and the night's gem "Chariot," which was fueled on enough infectious Beatlesesque melodies, they might as well have been ob-la-di-ing and ob-la-da-ing. BRETT HARRISON / PHOTOS BY ANTHONY THOMPSON

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We asked: What other bands do Page France remind you of? COMMENT

Name: Shannon Whiting
Age: 23
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Occupation: Writer"I'm hearing them for the first time tonight."

Name: Ben Rosenbach
Age: 20
Hometown: Annapolis, MD
Occupation: Student"They're pretty unique. If anything, it would be Anathallo."

Name: Jeff McLain
Age: 24
Hometown: Lancaster, PA
Occupation: Artist management"The Decemberists on steroids."

Name: Danielle Hunter
Age: 25
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Occupation: Director of a nonprofit organization"Cactus Punch Kids gone mad."