Chiaroscuro - I Break Horses

Track list:

1. You Burn
2. Faith
3. Ascension
4. Denial
5. Berceuse
6. Medicine Brush
7. Disclosure
8. Weigh True Words
9. Heart to Know

Running time: 45 minutes
Released: 2014

I loved I Break Horses' first effort, Hearts, a lot, having been turned on to them by the festival listings for Latitude the one year I went. I forget the dates, but I didn't get to see them play in the end because it was so muddy, and the particular venue up a hill in the woods that the effort involved led me down a different path. Nevertheless, I bought that album, loved it, played it a lot and was excited when this was released but Chiaroscuro never grabbed me in the same way.

There is a throbbing about the opening, a pulse invoked by the combination of rhythm and repeated note. The modulated sound of keys is a contrast, and the voice that comes in is different again, untethered  compared to the other sounds. The pace is slow, it is a tone piece not an energy one. As the song grows there is a bit more life injected into the beats but this is introspective fare; there's nowt wrong with that. This post is - as most seem to be these days - overdue. Too much distraction, too little planning, too much tiredness, too little drive. I am not in the best of spaces, yet... everything is kinda alright. The first track isn't finished yet and I am simultaneously angry at myself for not getting to this sooner (it's a pause of an opening, a rest), and wishing it were done already. Oh, if things could be easy... they'd all be duller.

Faith is a cyberpunk-y electronic haze, tempo jacked and levels all... wrong? The rhythm drives it the right way but the emphasis is on the background. Like the wallflower trying to hide in plain sight at the back of the photo - you can't tear your eyes from the one person that didn't want to be there. I suppose this is apt for a band characterised with the horrendously acerbic "shoegaze" label. This is one of the worst music genre labels of them all and there are plenty of bad names floating around. It is dismissive, fundamentally - even if used in adoration. Introspection is no bad thing; wanting to create a more private or intimate experience is no bad thing. If all music was unabashedly extrovert there would be less interesting material out there, material for fewer people.

I rather like the sense of break this manages to create, even when the soundscapes are pretty busy - buzzes, pulses, beeps everywhere. It still lacks the immediacy, the personality, of Hearts but it has positioned itself so as to break up the monotony of a Monday night where plans fell through. The weird effects at the beginning of Denial are unwelcome - a nasty little insertion before a more tuneful piece takes over. It sounds like an 80s film soundtrack redone with modern sensibilities - a little more craft and self awareness, a lot less flash and celebrity. Not a bad switch up. I am less than 4 songs in, none of them over 5 minutes but it feels like I have been listening for a lot longer than that. I think this is down to them packing a lot into each tune. So many different sounds, layers, that can only really be achieved through embracing electronica.

I am seriously out of practice at these posts. My mind is racing now - fighting for things to type, but that is not helpful. Inside I am going a million miles an hour; the soundtrack is a succession of slow numbers, at odds with that. I am creating my own mental prison, a sense of entrapment, containment that is standing between me and the music. The opposite of the point.

Ironically I end up gazing at my slippers as I try to force my head to clear and my attention to the ethereal sounds. I feel bad for this.

A couple of brief and soon forgotten aural discomforts aside this has been... alright. There are some really nice sounds buried in there too. However much of it is just not grabbing me and I am left wondering if they haven't tried to take introspection too far. Oh, just as I finish that thought the music gets a little more life, a little more volume. That is an element that has been largely missing. Everything is soft, muted, and distant. Some more dominant elements are welcome. Unfortunately the piece then settles too easily into a repeating pattern and does not really use the sense of difference that was briefly there after the first strong notes hit my ears. It rather drifts then dies out - some minutes later - with my sudden enthusiasm well and truly bled away.

There is more promise in the opening of Disclosure though. A snap to the rhythm, a pointedness. A purpose. It grows its sound a bit, but I can't help but feel it grows in the wrong way and loses some of the immediacy that I found in the opening bars. I think this would be best with headphones, late night, out in the middle of nowhere with a big sky open above you. It has that sensation of staring off into space, of vastness and insignificance. Some of the relevance comes back as the piece progresses; it may be the best track since the opener.

I would have to go back and listen to Hearts to be sure of this but I think there is a fundamental difference between these albums. The first is introspection aimed at a small space; this feels like it is broadcast out into an expanse by contrast. Wide open spaces filled with very personal sounds, rather than speaking directly to an audience. Perhaps that is why this works less than brilliantly. The final track is 7 and a half minutes long and... oh my god is it sleepy. It's so laid back as to be horizontal. It is, also, incredibly dull. Long, slow pieces have a place, but they need to have a little more to them than this. Droning low notes, a repetitive vocal and none of the busy sound work from earlier tracks. This is a soul-sucking morass of a last track, bleeding off any good will.

Any positive impression I built over the first couple of tracks is definitely gone now. A surprising little injection of actual sound into this snooze-fest feels out of place - moreso because it is not followed up on. What a terrible end to a record that really wasn't that bad. Yes, it is lacking in places, and yes it suffers a lot in comparison with their prior effort, but it had its moments. Those are rather obliterated by the dirge with which it leaves us though. A pity about that.

Edit: I started Hearts out of curiosity. It's still electronic, ethereal, introspective but it's also bolder about it. Louder, more vibrant, with more personality and, importantly, still really good.

Cantando - Bobo Stenson Trio

Track list:

1. Olivia
2. Song of Ruth
3. Wooden Church
4. M
5. Chiquilín de Bachín
6. Pages
7. Don's Kora Song
8. A Fixed Goal
9. Love, I've Found You
10. Liebesode
11. Song of Ruth (variation)

Running time: 77 minutes
Released: 2008

Yet more jazz from northern climes. A bit of a glut, it seems. This is a long one, and not conveniently split into two parts. Bobo Stenson is a Swedish pianist, so I guess I was looking for another gem like Esbjörn Svensson (not that there is any reason why two Swedish jazz pianists leading trios need be alike in any way). I have no strong recollections of these tunes though, so I guess there was nothing that stand out. That said, I doubt I have sat down and really given it time or space before.

The first thing I notice, as I hit play is that these tunes appear to be composed by others. Whilst Stenson leads this trio, he is credited with co-writing just one of the tunes. This is a surprise to me, but there is certainly enough jazz out there to support a recording full of reinterpretations - though admittedly I wouldn't be surprised if my track metadata is innacurate. Olivia is all wandering keys, disconnected bass and playful drums... a lounge-like insouciance (yes the word means what I think it does); I wish I had some of that. This post has been two weeks coming as a result of weddings (not mine), not enough sleep and getting my priorities screwed up. I blame the length of this disc, about as long as CDs ever get. I am forcing myself to do it on a Sunday evening to try to rekindle the drive behind this project. Whilst I have been making excuses, Olivia has kept playing, flitting in and out of my conscious thoughts. It doesn't have a dominant or coherent tune really - more a collection of small snatches of sound. They are nice and all, but it doesn't sustain complete attention or interest for the seven allotted minutes.

There is a stronger theme to Song of Ruth, the piano weaving a sombre and solemn tune around a skittering percussion and sparsely structural bass. I rather like the timbre, but it feels a little overwrought, bearing down on my choice to listen this evening. There are little moments of light though, when the piano reaches the higher registers there is a nice, hopeful musicality to the notes. Whereas the last couple of Nordic jazz listens have been short, snappy tunes for the most part, many of these tunes are longer, echoing the epics of the past. I am not feeling in the mood for lengthy oeuvres, but that is what I face.

Suffice to say that the similarities with Svensson end at being Swedish. Googling whilst Wooden Church struggles to engage me I find that Stenson is 20 years older than Svensson would be were he still with us. This does not surprise me; these tunes have a more traditional, less energetic, feel to them and are failing to excite. Don't get me wrong, the playing is nice and the sounds are pleasant enough, but the lack of urgency and laid back nature of these pieces is failing to grab me in any way. That is probably in part because I am having to force this listen but there is definitely an element of this being a bit too stately for my tastes. The opening of M is the best the disc has been so far, the piano skimming over a lot of high notes, the contrast with a low thrum from the bass and the skittering percussion is sweet and welcome. The tune is pleasant and dominant - the latter hasn't always been true thus far - and a bit more intricate. Something to get stuck in to.

The stronger sounds from the keyboard are a welcome shift in tone, and I find myself really enjoying M as it continues. It shows the wonder a good melody can offer. There is not too much change in bass and drums really from the tracks that preceded M, but the difference in the piano part is huge. More life, more action, more heart. The thing is - you often need percussion and structure for tunes to shine, and not everyone can be the hero all the time. Sometimes it is better for those disciplines to stay in the shadows a little. I can understand the desire to do something a little different, play with preconceptions and have these guys get their times to shine but... pianos are just so much better at carrying!

I am drawn back from a wandering mind by another moment where the "let the others have their day" mindset sticks out. Bass solos just aren't (generally) that interesting, you know. That goes double for drum solos. M appears to be the exception, not the rule; whilst there is more of a tune running through the subsequent number, it doesn't have the same strength of character and the devolution into spotlights for the supporting cast typifies it, making for a forgettable piece. We are then launched into a 13 minute epic, and it is fair to say my hopes are not high. Pages starts at a glacial pace and seems to be shooting for an atmospheric quality that nothing which has gone before suggests will be a success. It manages to be a little haunting, but at the same time it is also largely bland - too much space left around each note, and those notes not conveying enough.

The track goes silent for a second about 3 and a half minutes in. Sound returns with an edgy scratching from the percussion. This is not comfortable listening, but that edginess wouldn't be a problem if the resulting sounds were gripping - instead... well, it sounds a little bit like that one jazz stereotype, the one that, to me as someone who listens to a fair bit of jazz as part of a balanced musical diet, is utterly infuriating. The one that spawned the Jazz Club sketches on The Fast Show (Nice!).

That everyone is separately making it up as they go.

Ugh. I hate that as a throwaway insult but, as much as that is the case, it feels like it applies here. Worse, the 13 minute track is actually made up of several shorter sections that have very different themes. I don't get any sense of cohesion from the piece, no flow, no reason why these disparate sounds have been adjoined in this manner. For my money none of the little snippets are that interesting in and of themselves and they become less so when strung together like this. Pages is a sure fire casualty.

Huh, now that is interesting. The bass-led opening of Don Kora's Song has me thinking of Rodrigo y Gabriela of all things. Something in the cadence of the track has a Latin vibe and the hum of the bass is evocative of their guitar work. It is a huge step up in interest. There is a nice tune there - both melody and bass structure are coming from the keys, though the actual upright bass is contributing, the dominant theme is from the lower register piano, which means Stenson is playing two tunes, albeit one simple and repeating, with one hand each. This gives a nice effect, but arguably the track is more effective when the bassy part is being plucked. Or rather, it would be if the weighting towards the keys was maintained whilst that were happening - in practice the key treble is backed off in the recording. Still, a big step forward and the first sub 6-minute track.

The second "half" of the album is much shorter than the first and we blow through the next two tracks in half the run time of Pages. The first of those is an Ornette Coleman tune (I recognise the name but cannot claim familiarity with his work). I find it a bit tuneless for my taste, and it is best just before it closes. Too little, too late. The second is just over 3 minutes and a much more delicate tune. It suffers a little from too much weight on the wandering bass - the melody would have more impact if it was cleaner and clearer, but making the piano any stronger in and of itself would destroy the delicateness the tune conjures. I like it, to a point but it would be better with a solo piano.

Two to go. Liebesode (not to be confused with Liebestod by And None of Them Knew They Were Robots - there is an unlikely tag for you!) is again longer. It is mournful, with funereal pace. Lonely and sad strings carry the early part of the tune, with the piano hovering in the bass register. I am not sold on the strings here, there isn't much in their part here other than a huge serving of sadness and  it is a little overbearing. When the piano contributes more than the odd note it helps lift the piece and, as we pass 5 minutes, it seems to take over the lead. Alas the pace and timbre are unchanged and it is that stately, sad nature of the track that fails to work for me. The melody has become something of a joy but alas it is fighting against an indifference the rest of the playing did a lot to create.

The final number is a reprise of Song of Ruth and seems to have the keys alone, at least to begin with. Whilst it is a little subdued in tone I find I like it - the clarity of sound on the melody is appreciated, though it becomes dilutes some when the drums join in after a while. This is not a happy song, not played like this at least (I am not familiar with the original composition), but this particular variation does not have the same over-the-top tendency that I found on the earlier version. It gets a bit too busy at the half way mark, the flow of the tune broken up a little by the increase in tempo and complexity but once I adjust to the new level of activity it still has an even keel and better stressing. I think track two is for the chop and I'll just keep this one - it's much more engaging.

Time to go through and cut out some dead wood, then. And just in case anyone expects it now, next time out on these pages won't be more Scandinavian jazz.

The Big Black and the Blue - First Aid Kit

Track list:

1. In the Morning
2. Hard Believer
3. Sailor Song
4. Waltz for Richard
5. Heavy Storm
6. Ghost Town
7. Josefin
8. A Window Opens
9. Winter Is All Over You
10. I Met Up With the King
11. Wills of the River

Running time: 38 minutes
Released: 2010

I cannot remember where I first heard about First Aid Kit, but something around the promotion of The Lion's Roar caught my interest and I picked that album up and liked it a lot. The two voices mesh nicely, the sounds supporting them are generally interesting. So eventually I picked up this earlier release too and whilst none of the tracks listed instinctively bring recollection I am hoping this will be a good one.

We start with a typical strummed guitar and then the vocal harmony that typifies First Aid Kit joins in. It sounds nothing like my mind's eye stereotype of Swedish folk. There is a yearning there that conjures images of big sky America more than trees and lakes. It also reverbs enough that my little speaker can't cope and I have to dial down the volume a lot - I didn't even have it that loud, it just seems to be the result of the two sisters (I think?) combining.

Hah - I find myself making the same mistake I have castigated others for in the past, and not for the first time. Perils of real time stream of thought typing I guess; some small amount of post-listen editing goes into these but not an awful lot. Hard Believer is a more melodic song, still playing on the harmonies - it will be a theme, since it is what sets this pair apart - and slower, more sombre, and still redolent of country in many ways (says I with no knowledge of real country music).

Musically there is nothing boundary-shoving here but the stylised vocals, accents and harmony really make First Aid Kit unique. Fast or slow, melancholy or bright, simple or more complex it all comes back to the singing. Some of their tunes are quite catchy but put less compelling vocals over them and they would be nothing of real interest, just diversionary. With the singing voices the two young women apply, however... much better. They must be aware that it is their selling point, because the compositions in places are so thin as to not exist, and often there is nothing more than a lightly played guitar to back them up. I don't think I have ever heard a harmony like it, there is compliment but also clash - the latter in a controlled way that enhances, rather than as a detraction. It almost sounds like one or other of them are out of tune deliberately, as they sing in different ranges and stress slightly different syllables. It is mesmerising and enchanting.

Ghost Town introduces some form of organ or accordion to give a mournful edge, and the first verse is sung solo. It sounds lonely after five tracks of paired delivery. Even here though the vocal strengths and interest the pair generate is strong. There is a fragility, a wavering quality to the intonation that enraptures my ear and draws me along with the sad story eve whilst not really processing the words. I think I have mentioned before on these pages that absorbing lyrics whilst typing my own letters is nigh on impossible dual processing for my brain and I miss a lot. I have the same problem if trying to read whilst listening to podcasts, and it's a really annoying deficiency for life in the modern world.

I am somewhat glad that the next track is more upbeat, the vocal much more positive and warm, the backing simple but bright and spangly. Its a simplicity, and repetition that is wearying and in other contexts I would be decrying Josefin for its staidness. Were it not for harmony, harmony that this time has additional support beyond just the pair of stars. That missing lyrics thing? I get the impression it is a big deal here, but maybe I am inferring profoundness where none exists as a direct result of the gravity and weight that the vocal has on all of these pieces.

In truth, I think perhaps the full album gets a bit much, too reliant on the same trick. However good a trick that may be, over-reliance on a single point can get stale. I don't recall The Lion's Roar having the same problem, so maybe this is a reflection of a debut - there is less craft in the music, less variation and therefore more similarity between songs. I don't want to undersell this though, just because my ear is craving something else - the quality is present throughout and any one of these tracks would brighten up a shuffle.

As I say that, I run into the first one that isn't stellar. Winter is All Over You just lacks whatever it is that makes them magic, particularly as it draws to a close. It seems churlish to complain when the spark soon returns and when there is such an obvious gift here. I would seriously recommend this to anyone who adores interesting vocals.

Just like that I arrive at the end, Wills of the River. This has been a short one, short and sweet for the most part. It is a pity that there isn't more interest in the composition, but that said the tone, pace and content is varied so even if they are a little over-playing a very simple accompaniment there is at least some form of differetiation from track to track. Having said that, adding too much without forethought could seriously detract from their greatest strength. I guess they walk a fine line and if so, then it is hardly a surprise that they step the "wrong" side of that in places. Overall though? I like this a lot. I would like it more broken up with something meatier, but I think this album might have come a little early for that.

And She Closed Her Eyes - Stina Nordenstam

Track list:

1. When Debbie's Back From Texas
2. Viewed From The Spire
3. Crime
4. Fireworks
5. Proposal
6. Little Star
7. Hopefully Yours
8. Murder In The Mairyland Park
9. I See You Again
10. So This Is Goodbye
11. Something Nice
12. And She Closed Her Eyes

Running time: 49 minutes
Released: 1994

A quick change in direction now, to Scandinavia and to quiet female vocals and a very different sonic landscape. I have no idea what made me decide to buy this album, but Amazon tells me I bought it in 2007, some 13 years after its release. I do not have anything else by this artist, nor recall any other factoids which suggest why I might have thought the purchase was a good idea. From that point of view this is one of the most random things I own. When in doubt, blame LastFM. I do, however, have memories of at least three of the tracks, and remember really liking at least one, so I am looking forward to revisiting it now.

The start is an odd one, light strums of a guitar and a strangled, muted and razor thin vocal that is almost childlike in delivery. The song only gets musical at the chorus; it is a very odd way to open an album - not unpleasant, just a little... offbeat. The soft vocal is definitely a feature and it gives the impression of innocence and shyness as it continues into the next song. Viewed From the Spire is the song I remember loving, a light jazzy number that makes good evening background - you could see it playing over a panning cityscape, night lights on, waterfront view. Cliché-tastic, but a nice, simple song. I do not find it leaving much of an impression this time though.

There is a really strong tone imparted by the vocal style here - it is such that it needs a fairly slow, sparse accompaniment to not be overwhelmed and that shapes the types of song that can be crafted. In practice, what that means is that this is a very chilled album. Everything happens in slow motion and without wishing to crash into your day. I find it does not make good listening but I like what I hear - if that makes any sense at all. Yes, I am only 3 songs in, but the pattern is firmly established and if/when it gets broken it will be interesting. Fireworks begins with a much stronger guitar line - solo, and still slow, but recorded louder - until the vocal comes in and the music is dialled down on volume again, the use of sampled seabirds (or so it sounds like to me!) lend a lazy summer holiday vibe. I think I used this phrase before somewhere, but the lack of any real confidence in the singing (maybe because second language?) and the simple, repetitive patterns of the music invoke the "friend tooling around with a guitar in the corner" image. There are flashes of greater arrangement from time to time, but most of it to date has been simple acoustics front and centre.

Oh, that was unexpected; Little Star goes all, erm... something on us. Sudden harmony in the chorus that actually makes for quite a nice little sound but out of place with what has gone before. I am struggling to keep going though - two nights of poor sleep, waiting for a coat of paint to dry before I can apply another, slow sleepy music is not what the doctor ordered to keep me awake and raring to go. None of what I am hearing is bad, not much of it is particularly good. There is nothing objectionable about any of these songs, they are too simple in their construction for that; it does make them not particularly good at promoting active engagement though. I sit here considering whether to cut the whole lot. I do not have much like this, and it definitely has its place, but if all it makes me think is "nice background to tune out" then why keep it?

I like it, but I do not want to listen to it. That is an odd sentence to type, but it is true.

There is some interest in the construction of the tracks, but mostly the appeal is in the overall ambience it projects and shares with its audience. At different points I have had thoughts of Leonard Cohen and of Enya in the design of the tracks (the delivery has nothing close to either) and I think if I could bend my ear to pay attention to the almost whispered lyrics there might be some more to dissect there. There is a sense of melancholy that hangs over one or two tracks (the trumpet on I See You Again is a prime example) but it still manages to be too... nice. Pleasant. Damned with faint praise again.

Ultimately the paucity of my output here, the fact I have been staring at the screen for 2 songs without typing anything is pretty damning. I cannot see a justification for keeping this if it cannot incite a response. Unlike after noting other casualties of this process, I do not feel entirely comfortable with this decision for reasons I cannot quite articulate, but the decision is made. I cannot picture myself listening to this album again, so there is no point keeping it. Whilst it fills its niche and I do not have anything to put there alongside it, I think that the points where I was most engaged moved the theme towards an area where I do have stronger material in the bank.

Alone E.P. - Moist

Track List:

6. I Am (Red Snapper Remix)

Running time: 5 minutes
Released: 2009

I do not know where I picked this up. The "why" is easy enough - Red Snapper. Moist is an... unfortunate name. I know several people who recoil reflexively from the word. In this instance it would seem to refer to a Swedish guy who seems to do a bit of everything.

I only have the one track, which must have been made free somewhere, or distributed through Red Snapper somehow for me to have it.

I can hear the RS influence in the bass (I believe it is a stand-up). The track has a reasonable progression, but nothing outstanding and there is no real melody to speak of which is disappointing. It keeps threatening to get good, but never quite fulfilling on its promise. Decent track, I see no reason to cut it, but neither do I feel like getting all Moist over it.

301 - Esbjörn Svensson Trio

Track List:

1. Behind the Stars
2. Inner City, City Lights
3. The Left Lane
4. Houston, the 5th
5. Three Falling Free Part I
6. Three Falling Free Part II
7. The Childhood Dream

Running time: 60 minutes
Released: 2012

It's late, I cannot sleep - mind buzzing. Maybe because I feel guilty in not doing one of these for a while, as I have been busy? Nah - in actual fact it is more likely a question of being wired by the Bloodbowl game I won earlier, a see-saw match that started (and thus ended) later than I would like as it was my only scheduling option this week. That, and the book I am reading. Ellroy always has me chewing mental scenery. That, and going back to work after a week off.

The passing of Esbjörn Svensson in a diving accident at the age of 44 robbed the world of a great musical talent. 301 is a record, released 4 years after his death, that I have never really listened to. The pieces were recorded at the same time as Leucocyte, but held back by the band after the accident. Late night, whisky in hand, is a good time for jazz though. Maybe it will buy me sleep at the cost of an hour.

Behind the Stars is a gentle opener, short and quiet. There are hints of what I did not like about Leucocyte with discordant notes here and there and I am hoping that is not a theme. See that, not the posthumous thing, is why I never really listened to this album after acquiring it. Inner City, City Lights is much longer: 11.50. Major work. It feels like mood music for Sin City for the first 4, threatening riff and not too much else of note but there is always Svensson's piano to cut through that tension. It is a track to get lost in thought to - as I just have. It is almost mesmeric in rhythm and structure but there is not really enough going on to command full attention, thus I drifted off in thought. Thus far I cannot see any merit in the idea I saw somewhere that this may be E.S.T.'s ultimate album in any sense other than being their final one.

For me, classic E.S.T. is Seven Days of Falling/Tuesday Wonderland - the melodies, the intensity, the sheer joy and power I find in those tracks sets a high bar. So far nothing on this album measures up for my money. The Left Lane is more active, but it does not feel like it hangs together properly. It is another epic in length and I think that works against it. Whether it is growing older, or some other factor, but I am coming to appreciate more these days when things know when to stop. I like endings. There are nice moments in longer tracks, sure, but generally my appreciation is greater for works that build, climax and complete in a more timely fashion. I do not know if it is the same mood that drove me to be writing this now that is interfering with my ability to enjoy the listen, or the fact that I feel like I am hearing a ghost - a sense that does not materialise with their other work.

Or perhaps I just do not like the musical direction they were heading. Houston, the 5th falls into this category for sure. To me, there is nowt musical about this track. Instead it resembles the sort of sound experiments that kids might make with their first recording device. Utter bilge. When it gives way to Three Falling Free Part I there is a ray of hope. This opens with a nice piano line but does not seem to build. Instead it meanders and for some reason I bring to mind Blade Runner, the scene where Rachel sits at the piano. The meander is a pleasant one but, like much that has preceded it, not coherent enough for me to fall in love with, and I find myself wanting Part II to start to see if that (despite its length) is better. This is turning into the most disappointing listen to date, though not the most unpleasant.

Somewhere, it turns out, Part II did start. I missed it whilst looking for a clip of the Blade Runner scene. I also found the review that called this perhaps E.S.T.'s greatest work. I wonder what that guy was smoking. Part II builds more than other tracks to my ear, I would say that it is comfortably ahead in the "star of the album" stakes despite the length. That said, it is not necessarily building to a good conclusion. There is darkness in this piece - and whilst certain sections echo tracks from my favoured albums there is much more... noise. The listener is not encouraged to settle. Some might see this as a good thing; right now, I do not. I will say that once it gets going, the track is anything but dull as a result.

The opening of The Childhood Dream gives me optimism for this track, which the name re-enforces. The tune is much more of a classic jazz melody - not what drew me to E.S.T. but more welcome than the noisy distortionate stuff that seems to have been their bent before it all came to a tragic end.  It is a beautiful tune though, less schmaltzy than Believe, Beleft, Below but of the same cloth. It is a good end to an album that I did not rightly enjoy, and that leaves me feeling happier as I contemplate heading back up to bed and hoping to have better luck with the whole sleep thing this time.


I would not contend that this is a good jazz album for whisky in hand late night listening by any shot, so my earlier comment was clearly made in ignorance. However I cannot bear to clear the album from my library because I love E.S.T. so very much.