There comes a time when you can admire something for its sugary, winsome curves, but also remain virtually allergic to its intent. Given that this is music which has no real audience to aim at, that isn’t too much of a surprise.

It’s like backing music from an advert, or a throwback to 80’s winebar nitelife sounds. Think Julia Fordham, if you ever heard her. Think Eighth Wonder, where Petshop Boys music was almost filed behind cutesy girly indie vocals, and that’s what’s here.

It’s a delight when it comes to background music, being lush and bleepy and sleepy and harmonious with fluffy vocals, but there’s a stylistic sticking point. The songs start, roves slowly along for the most part, empties out at the two-thirds stage, then reinstates the layers, the vocals join in again and it gently shudders and fades to an end. Then repeat, ad nauseum.

Forget the individual songs. Some of arty, some warm and inviting, and once I almost nodded off, but the vocal delivery over such suggestive but soulless music carries no emotion or believable moments of personality. It’s all just a sound.

It’s an Ikea soundtrack.

I WILL WAIT
FEEL YOU
NEVER GOING HOME AGAIN
INVITATION ONLY
WE DON’T
UNTIL I
REMEMBER THIS
THAT’S THE WAY IT GOES
JUST ANOTHER NIGHT
TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT

http://www.pitchblackdream.com

05/10/03