This is the thrid album from the Moscow-based trio. The trio emerged from interminable improvisations in front of mixing console of the booth in one respectable Moscow club, where they were working. Initially, for a short period, the band was called Dark Brigade. The name Poostoch appeared in 2002. In Russsia, it means “unculultivated plot or heath.” They played and recorded initially in a number of styles, without any serious
mixing, but quickly creating the sound of a composition reflecting their mood at that point in time. As a result, their genre had formed as a laid-back, evocative, experimental, slightly psychadelic, contemporary classical and shoegaze/post-rock, with a cinematic dimension.

There are fourteen tracks which vary from two to six minutes with elaborations on different ideas, themes and moods. Reading the sleeve-notes, the trio exhibit sharp wit in, for example, song titles (’Overjoyed To Hear The New Poostosh Album’) and song performance details (”MS - piano, keyboards, bass, dream and embodiment direction. AK - guitar scent”).

The album opens with a wimsical and amusing tune called ‘Overjoyed To Hear The New Poostoch Album’, quickly followed by the altogether more serious ‘Life A We Forgot It.’ The song invokes images of gently swaying blades of grass with birds gliding above. It’s understated, melodic and really quite beautiful. ‘Rain Autumn DPRSSN’ reflects both light and dark in its layering of soft and hard, edgyier instrumentals, with the sound of rain drops ominipresent. ‘Sasha’ offers a more epic but distant soundscape that during the passage of the song draws closer.  It has a haunting, cinematic vibe with the most subtle acoustic guitar sound winding its way through spacial sounds, and the very occasional vocal sighs. ‘Leprechauns’ Gang’ is a percussive affair with bass, guitar and unworldy sounds creating a rather threatening ambience. It’s high original and a bit scary. ‘Birthnight’ opens with the bass string thrum juxtoposed with a the shrill sound of air guitar that winds its way lyrically around the persistant bass rhythm. Then at its conclusion foreign language vocals dart in for a few seconds. It is endowed with a strong melody and is one of my favourite tracks here.

‘Swallowed By Untime Vol. 2 (Live)’ is a more conventional tune with the melodica playing a leading and very interesting role. The song travels at snail’s pace driven by the most superb melody, and leaves me with a feeling of deep warmth on this cold winter’s day. Glorious! ‘Corneal Abrasion’ is one of the funnier titles here and reflects the nature of a song that darts around like a demented frog with a looming dark shadow from above slowly submerging it. It’s an extraordinary track overlaid with weird noises akin to the sound made trying to tune a radio, unsuccessfully… ‘Information Pressure Doesn’t Affect An Eagle’ is another strange title to a song that is just about the darkest here.

‘La Storia Du Un Ragazzo Che Trovo’ L’amore ma Pese la Testa’ roughly translated as ‘The Story Of A Boy Who Finds Love But Loses His Head.’ The description of instruments played is even funnier: AK - coll busker’s guitar. MS - coll busker’s melodica. AG - cool busker’s accordion/space keys. It’s a simple and light tune featuring the accordion which reminds me of a street performer on a village street in some French village, in some French movie…

There’s much to like about this album, including its sonic diversity and ability to communicate stories and moods. It’s also surprisingly accessible and, unusually, combines humour with despair. If you are interested in it, you have a problem since neither of the trio’s provided Internet links is working and it’s not on Amazon… Bit stupid really!

3.5/5