This is an intriguing album. Angil aka Michael Mottet is French but you’ll have to listen hard to hear a trace of an accent. Sonically, the album sounds as though it may be home-produced, so honest and vibrant are the sounds it delivers. On first listen it sort of flies by without ruffling too many feathers, but like all good records a second listen leads to a third and then a fourth and so on. In other words it buries itself in one’s mind and replays itself time and time again. It takes over…

The opening track, No More Guitars, opens with a loud, dramatic series of bass and snare beats before keyboards come into play, and Angil’s young voice almost apologetically appears. Pace is deathly, melody is memorable, and lyrics are simple and lovely. Then just as you’ve been lulled into a dreamy sense of karma, guitar strikes up and shatters that peace big-time to end a fabulous song. A wistful-sounding Beginning Of The Fall then follows and the same trick is played in the middle-eight when that jangling guitar returns for a few seconds. There’s mesmerising vocal harmonies and Angil’s understated voice to complete a very different and very beautiful track

Another moving and glacial track follows in A Long Way To Be Happy, Darlene Said. This track could be a modern Beatles track if they were still around. It’s utterly beautiful and wonderfully produced with the instrumentals providing added depth and meaning to the song’s message. She Said ‘What You Doing’ He Said ‘I Am Leaving’ is an upbeat number which starts off cutely as some sort of pop song before guitars and drums provide a raucous and angry accompaniment. You’ll not hear anything like this I promise you, and it’s bloody amazing! Track seven Sons Of Benedict springs another surprise with its piercing, warped, jagged instrumental sounds, and the epic Dolaytrim is mind-blowing.

The pace and mood of the album are diverse and every single track offers something very special. This is a wonderful, very different folk-pop album and essential listening. Hell, I love this album, and it’s certainly one of the year’s best releases.

5/5