Coyote

Kayo Dot have another sterling release here.No where near as difficult as Blue Lambency Downward but some how a lot more uncomfortable.The albums subject matter is realised absolutely (Good friend Yuko Sueta's story of terminal illness and a journey through solitude and suffering), and anyone who can connect through sympathy or empathy is going to find this a difficult and even at times tear jerking journey.Instrumental forces are approached in a new way, and the bass has an amazingly ominous character about it. The violin seems joined at the hip to the brass instruments. This combined voice yearns over the walking bass and is a wonderous texture.The melodic idiosyncrasies are still Toby Driver's unique colour. As lush, if not more so, than some classics such as Immortelle and Paper Caravelle.The biggest change is the rhythm. Constant and pounding. Not unpredictable. It makes a support for the tension and increases the sensation of an actual journey rather than a series of experiences outside of a conventional time frame.There's not much for Kayo Dot critics to hold onto here. It's an album of both amazing and original music.

Kayo Dot's first two albums are truly very special, but this fails to affect me. Gone are the lush Jeff Buckley vocals and pounding drone metal, with quirky jazz interludes and ambient sections - now its just meandering jazz with meaningless, half-hearted vocals over the top. I give it three stars because I love the two first albums so much. :(