Three [VINYL]

Occupying the intersecting point between dreamy pastoral folk and experimental post-rock, Junkboy carve out an interesting and highly varied slice of eclectic slow-core. Guitars resonate with shimmering beauty whilst accompanying instruments add a touch of exoticism, progressive arrangements from the soul of Seventies dreamers are contemporised and allied with Jazz-based grooves. The whole thing is steeped in stuffy summertime atmospherics and animated with dreamy shoe-gazer vocals.

Junkboy is a Brighton based band consisting of brothers Mik and Rich Hanscomb. Having left their hometown of Southend on-Sea and taken up residence in Brighton and Hove in September 2006, the brothers set about creating `Three', a follow-up to the ultra slo-fi of 2005's Lost Parade album. Created through utilising a DIY home recorded ethos and influenced by the likes of Tortoise, Elliot Smith, Bert Jansch and Todd Rundgren, the duo experimented heavily, bringing together there influences to make the foundation for something entirely their own. For `Three' they brought together an army of collaborators who provide a wide assortment of instrumentation ranging from the more conventional flute and horn to the more striking sounds of banjo and ebow.

The jazzy bounce of opener `Volcano Mono' is almost cinematic in its delivery, meandering gracefully past soft vocal hums and constantly developing into fresh pastures. On `Tonight', images of Porcupine Tree at their most tender and enigmatic shine through the dreamy campfire haze, whilst `Seconds' moves into early Feeder territory with its subtle yet menacing punk-rock tinged riffage and whispered vocals. `Held Inside' see's the brothers Hanscomb undertake an exercise in ethereal atmospheric pop combining sharp snares and dirge like whispers with wispy melodics. On the press release, Rich points out " we just take on our influences and make them our own" and this is particularly true for the closer `Waiting For...' which is steeped in a deep American aesthetic, coming across a bit like Low versus My Bloody Valentine but still pure Junkboy. Hauntingly beautiful, the track combines muffled percussion, manipulated atmospherics and sparkling instrumentation with vocals which drift cloudlike above the glimmering soundscape resulting in a wonderful piece that showcases the devastating power of well crafted soft-core.

`Three' is the kind of album Air would have produced if they played instruments. Over the course of 10 tracks and 46minutes, it wraps the listener up in cotton-wool and removes them from the world outside into the intimate surroundings of Junkboy's home-based studio. Sure its relatively inoffensive and requires attentive ears and because of this, for some, `Three' might prove to be too light and airy to ignite any real passion, but spin this album in the stuffy heat of a summer evening and I guarantee you will sink into it headfirst. (RM)

For fans of: Low, Kings of Convenience, Air, Elliot Smith, Tortoise