In a Safe Place

Album Leaf (Jimmy LaValle) took a trip to Iceland and composed this album there with the help of guests like Gyda Valtysdottir (former Mum cellist), Pall Jenkins (Black Heart Procession) and Jon Thor Birgisson (of Sigur Ros).

The regular Album Leaf sound is still here: ultra-chill, endearing, electronically-based post-rock/acoustic ambient/pop. Think Rachels meets Mum meets Greg Davis. But this time there are some vocals – some from Pall, Birgisson, and even some from LaValle himself! I like the instrumental tracks better, but the vocals work well enough. You can totally picture the ensemble huddled around a fire in some house in Iceland. Great stuff!

My recommendation: Play tracks 1 & 2 together on continuous. They capture the heart of the album, and the transition gives me the "holy shit this is amazing" shivers.
Other favorites were tracks 5 & 7.

- Captain Dee (7/04)

**1. Beautiful ambience. Ethereal chorus of drawn-out beeps, cello, and occasional bass pulses. As if you're soaking up some wonderful, ineffable moment. (3:44)
**2. Infectious drum beat, warm keys, and violins. Album Leaf at its chill best. (4:23)
*3. Twangy guitars burst into a starry-eyed jam with a duet of vocals and glockenspiel. The break at 2:22 makes me really happy… (4:31)
4. Mellow keyboarding and glockenspiel, later joined by a fuller set of instruments. Tripping clicking beat. Strings provide a lush ending. (5:40)
**5. Blippy Mum-ish electronic beat, glockenspiel, organ, and cheerful keys. What a gorgeous, mesmerizing groove! Picks up in intensity over time. (4:23)
6. Duet of vocals (including the Sigur Ros guy) and high-pitched cooing. Twinkling keyboards with fuzzy background noise/instrumentation. (4:55).
**7. Comforting chorus of synths, endearing melody, another Mum-ish beat, poignant splashes of bass, and wistful violin. Conversation sample at end. (4:21)
*8. Tender duet of acoustic guitars with introspective strings and accordion. Pardon the videogame reference, but this reminds me of the Chrono Cross OST. Ends with another conversation sample. (3:34)
9. More warm ambience, soft (almost spoken) vocals, nostalgic cello and violin. Drum beat enters midway. (6:06)
10. Dreamy ambient keys and violin for 3 minutes. Ends with 6 minutes of barely audible folksy sounds that are way too quiet for radio. (9:22)