THE GARDEN AND THE POOL: THE MARYANNE'S DIARIES AT THE FARM

Having recently purchased the complete PSICOLORAMA "catalogue", and finding it not altogether displeasing, I added to my collection "The Garden and the Pool" the same day it was released (By the way, "Garden/Pool" follows "Home" chronologically, and its subtitle is grammatically incorrect) As it happened to be my birthday (hardly a cause for celebration anymore) I said to myself, "Wouldn't it be nice if I were completely blown away by a 'Psico' record?" Well... Happy Birthday to me! "The Garden and the Pool" (the "companion piece" to "Home") is a stunning slice of beauty and sublimity that leaves all earlier releases far behind it, gasping for air and praying to be heard again. By comparison, "Fear" (about which I made charitably kind remarks earlier) is only "average". I am very (very) impressed, indeed, by "The Garden and the Pool".

Every song is a shimmering gem, evoking a barrage of feelings and emotions: love, peace, tranquility... (I could go on) The absence of vocals and addition of violin to PSICOLORAMA'S tonal palette make "The Garden and the Pool" quite dreamy and immensely enjoyable. Standout songs include the subtly pulsating "Walking Along the Fence"; the melancholy "Requiem for a Family"; the pensive "Moving Leaves and the Trees" and - at fourteen minutes, the record's longest piece - the gently floating "The Kidnapped Life" (my personal favourite)

Dear readers, my economy of words ought not to controvert my unwavering ardour for PSICOLORAMA'S "magnum opus" (!) I eagerly await his next offering,

I am not the least bit hesitant in awarding "The Garden and the Pool" a much-deserved five star rating

*Addendum: PSICOLORAMA must have read my review, as he has just emailed me a new "record cover" correcting the aforementioned grammar flub. Viva España!