The atmosphere created on this album is unbelievable, but the songwriting is not. Each number, performed in a freeform style, seems to have no focus whatsoever, which leaves it to move along seemingly uncontrolled. Saxophone and flute, care of
Old Time Relijun
's
Arrington De Dionyso
, are smeared throughout the tracks penned by bandleader
Al Larsen
(i.e.,
"The Rewind,"
"Hope,"
and the title track). Almost all the songs start with an interesting idea, but they immediately go stale because the ideas are never taken to another level. Brilliant flashes of guitar that sound as if they're being played in a cave (
"The Rewind"
), two synths intertwining to create a Fender Rhodes piano sound (
"Valley of the Clock"
), and digitally manipulated vocals contribute to the captivating sonic elements, but it's not enough to make the song structures any better. This is a haphazardly thrown together attempt at experimentation that falls flat on its face. ~ Stephen Howell