TOGETHER WE'RE STRANGER

This melancholic record is very hard to classify: while often being very ambient, linear and hypnotic, it is not very progressive, and it contains psychedelic and spacy textures. It sounds a bit like Radiohead's "Treefingers" and the mellow moments of Porcupine Tree. The rhythm is VERY slow, and the miscellaneous very ethereal electric guitar loops and keyboards slightly remind me David Torn's work with Mark Isham (Castalia) and David Sylvian (Secret of the beehive), Robert Fripp's ethereal work with Brian Eno and David Sylvian, David Helpling, Pink Floyd circa "Division Bell", or even Terje Rypdal. The soundscapes are very original and unique. There are some good & serious piano on a couples of tracks. The bad thing is the lead vocals: they have an unpleasant, depressive, cheap & gross tone belonging to bands like Porcupine Tree, Riverside and Opeth: the lead vocals partly kill the good elements provided by the guitars and the keyboards: I try to concentrate on the rest of the instruments in order to give a proper evaluation.

This record truly has great soundscapes, especially on the first track "Together we're strangers". "The city in a hundred ways" contains strange clarinet textures and ethereal floating keyboards in the background: it is interesting but it has to not last too long. "Things I want to tell you" contains excellent lush & echoed acoustic guitars with ethereal floating keyboards in the background. The folkier "Back when you were beautiful" and "Break-up for real" remind me the most melancholic parts of Barclay James Harvest and Pink Floyd. Radiohead should take a lesson from No Man: the electronic album "Kid A" has nothing memorable compared to this record! Finally, this is a good record that many young people should like.

Rating: 3.5 stars