• Band / Artist : Passenger – mySpace
• Genre : Indie / Rock
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD :N/A
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 9 out of 10

I purchased this album, during my hiatus away from reviewing music and to some degree, it re-energised me, urging me to spread the word. To anyone familiar with Indie Launchpad, you will probably remember my more than enthusiastic review of the bands previous album, “Wicked Man’s Rest”. To some degree, this album is more of the same, but with a more acoustic, striped back feel.

The album opens with “Last Unicorn”, a song that upon hearing for the first time, I knew instinctively this was going to be an amazing album. There is incredible expression and emotion in Mike Rosenberg’s vocals, that draw you in, like an expert story teller, recalling the story of their life. The minimalist accompaniment works very well, and runs like a deep vein throughout the album. “What Will Become of Us”, has some wonderful lyrics, as well as some quite beautiful, but very subtle vocal accompaniment. It is one of several songs on the album, that I find myself strongly drawn to. As one song finishes and the next begins, there is a great continuity. Much of this is probably due to the basic production, but it also has a lot to do with the songs themselves. The transition between, “Is See Love” and “Rainbows” is effortless. “Caravan” is another of the songs that really struck a chord with me. In particular the beautiful lyrics. There is also a whistling respite in the song, that you just can’t help trying to replicate, like Otis Reading’s, “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay”. “Wide Eye” is in effect the title track, albeit one side of it, as the album title is a combination of two tracks that appear on the album.

“Underwater Bride” has a very fragile feel. The vocals are fractured, with a hint of desolation and despair. As I find a lot of the time, one mans despair is another man’s beauty. There’s something I can’t help but find beautiful in someone elses misery. “Strarlings” has an altogether different feel, reminding me to some degree of acoustic artists of the 70’s. While this was a very interesting and fertile time, this track can’t help but feel to me, a little out of place. It’s also a tad over one minute thirty, so has little time to redeem itself. “Blind Love” is the second half of the album title along with “Wide Eyes” and the old magic has returned. The album closes with “Snowflakes”, which for some reason has a very North American Indian feel to it. Yes I’m probably as far left of centre as I can be, but I can’t help how my mind works.

Conclusion : A truly wonderful album, that is certainly worth purchasing along with the bands other album, “Wicked Man’ Rest”. It’s certainly a more reflective album, but it just works so well. Outstanding.