Stunningly beautiful plucked string and piano lead lines get the title track underway. They are initially left in isolation to weave their magic but in the third minute some faint synth colouring is brought in. A minute later yet another fantastic melody replaces them as well as a beautiful harp type sequence and slow rhythm. This is some of the most delicate and yet heart warming EM I have heard in quite some time. 'I Wish' begins with yet another lovely melody, this time on guitar. The rhythm is sympathetically gentle but it seems to lose direction a little in the middle section, it's as if they are trying too hard, adding too much to it when it would have probably been better to keep it simple. 'Jump 16' starts with a nice chugging sequence around which two more excellent melodies meander, one piano the other more typical synth. It's another winner. 'September 1724' is a rather short but extremely beautiful piano / flute / strings interlude, yet again the melodies are really not notch.
'Lady River' has a very Christmas feel to the initial main melody. Other delicate lead lines come in and it's all rather nice but could have done with a stronger hook. This couldn't be said about 'The Losers' however as I was grabbed by the exquisite guitar lead line right from the off. And it gets even better backed by piano and other lovely supporting lines. In many ways it is similar to the title track. It wasn't until near the end however that I realised it could have been completely acoustic (though I bet it isn't) and non-the worse for it. Next we get a remix of 'Songswell by Mac which isn't too dissimilar to the original except that it might be slightly 'tighter'.
'Littlecutesongfromtheswissmountains' should surely win some sort of prize in the silly title category and it takes longer to say than the thirty seconds it lasts. Yes, it's just as twee as you might have expected. 'Thing' begins with Oriental touches but soon settles down to a very pleasing infectious chugger. 'A Life' has a mysterious dark atmospheric start, not too dissimilar to something you would find on a Kirkwood album but the sequence that emerges from it is much more standard fair and as with the rest of the CD the lead line is rather restful rather than music to go berserk by. It's as if we are slowly waking from a fitful sleep starting a calm new day. In the fifth minute another melodic sequence starts up accompanied by more tuneful lead lines which reminded me a little of some of the IC label's acts such as GENE or Peter Seiler. With five minutes to go the foot is put on the gas but things soon calm down again in a gentle sea of bubbling sequences. BIOnight's most tender album so far.
