This is one of the best albums I have ever heard. I stumbled upon it totally by accident whilst browsing and I knew immediately just by hearing the clips that I had to get a copy. The songwriting standard is phenominal: "March 16th" and "Don't Let Things Get To You" send shivers every time. The melodic brilliance of the chord progressions is just sublime, it's one of those albums that you get addicted to because there are more rewards with each listen. "Clouds Roll and Collide" is short but perfect, and the title track is wow. I love the lyrics too: very universal and yet somehow completely personal at the same time. I love the creative production throughout the whole record. Completely original. Buy this album and "Checkpoint" and you will not be dissapointed. You will just be frustrated that you didn't discover Sam Skarstad earlier.
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As good as, if not better than his previous record; short (less than 50 min.) in an age of CDs more tediously overlong than the 3-LP 'concept' albums of the 70s, herein you will find a dozen of Mr. Skarstad's perfect pop songs. Bubblegum effluvia, ancient analog synth chirrups, harmonies proven to cause tooth decay by 5 out of 5 dentists, but entirely worth it for the sound of 100-proof candyfloss brewing in the secret hollow beneath a leopardskin nymphette's sewing-table. Erudite but never pretentious, tense but never histrionic, and affected with that same sunny, eccentric faux-Englishness which flavors the majority of the Elephant 6 releases in much the same way that cardamom seeds flavor strong, black coffee.
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