WAAAH!! This is something else! I heard "Come In Out Of The Rain" quite by chance and immediately acquired this album and the Folly e.p. as soon as I could. I wasn't disappointed.
Lush, grand, mellow, warm, passionate, steeped in the last 40 odd years of melodic pop and rock music, these guys delight in drawing on all parts of that tradition to create a rich sea of sound all of their own. Plangent guitars and soft keyboards sit easily alongside Eno-esque atmospherics and sweeping thematic orchestrations reminiscient of John Barry, with dreamlike vocals woven throughout. As Peter Hammill said: " garnish your head with whatever turns you on", lay back at let the music wash the pain away.
This album is so full, you can find as many influences, direct or tangential, as you care to look for, but you still won't be able to pin it down. Apart from the obvious, I can hear shades of the brighter face of Porcupine Tree, and hints of the sweet voice of Green Gartside. (And the cover art would look splendid on an old 12" gatefold sleeve!) Can't wait to catch them live, or for the next offering.
Never mind your shoes, this is aimed at the stars. Beautiful.