By 2002 Neil Halstead had become progressively mellower post-Slowdive and Mojave 3. His debut solo album saw him go full Nick Drake, all whispery vocals and rolling folk signatures. Opener Seasons takes a simple two chord motif through the song, and its wistful melody and guitar playing create a highly effective atmosphere. It's the standout on the album. After this we get the low key folk of Two Stones In My Pocket, followed by Driving With Bert. The combination of brass and guitar picking on the latter gives it a timeless feel.
Hi-Lo and In Between and final track High Hopes have a simple warmth to them that evokes very early Dylan, while Martha's Mantra nods to coffeehouse folk like Simon and Garfunkel. One of the more uptempo tracks is See You On Rooftops, which arrives in time to prevent this album from falling into something of a hazy stupor. A combination of soaring keyboards and fuzzy electric join the acoustic reverie, filling out the sound nicely.
Certainly a pleasant, comforting listen for those who like folky guitars.
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