This album could be heard as a single piece of music - beginning with a series of almost disconnected sketches, taking its time before the first song is offered. As the album progresses it remains centred around the human voices which give this work much of its special character. The mood is largely calm and restrained, yet unsettled, and it comes as a real surprise when the rhythmic content ramps up towards the end of the work. There is an element of yearning for an England which possibly never was, and is a little fearful of the future. The strings evoke 1970s leftfield BBC documentary soundtracks? Maybe. There doesn't seem to be any particularly close relation to this work in the music world the closest reference point might be some of the music in the post Henry Cow body of music, maybe News From Babel? Possibly. James Mainwaring, a virtuoso saxophone player, is very sparing with his solos here. Again, the listener has to wait. Less can be more - that certainly is the case here. Aby Vulliamy - viola, vocals. Michael Bardon cello. Fergus Quill double bass. Steve Hanley drums. Chris Sharkey electronics. James Mainwaring - saxophones, compositions, arrangements, lyrics, vocals, Field recordings / granular synth, Fender Rhodes, piano, and flutes.