HEX

Though the debut album by Bark Psychosis was not the first post-rock album - other bands such as Talk Talk had made early explorations of this territory - it was the piece which caused the term to be coined, as reviewers grasped for ways to describe the music presented here. The influence of the last two Talk Talk albums is clear to see, particularly in Absent Friend, where Bark Psychosis engage in tranquil jazz explorations which are very obviously inspired by those on Spirit of Eden.

Whilst the album does not expand the boundaries of post-rock to any great extent and lacks the sweeping scope and inventiveness of the classic albums that preceded it, it's still a carefully- composed and elegantly performed piece which is enjoyable in its own right. Plus it provided proof that it was possible to capture the late Talk Talk sound without enduring the sort of extreme recording sessions and massive expense those albums entailed. Not an absolute classic, but still a very fine achievement.