Named, I assume, after one of Joni Mitchell's most sublime albums, this four-piece band are based in South East London but their members originate from Chile, Hungary, Ethiopia and Germany.
Individually, they have honed their significant musical talents by performing with a range of artists like Amy Winehouse, Tom Jones and Nitin Sawhney.
Working in their own recording studio (a converted house) has enabled them to build up a united, democratic group sound in which no single member takes centre stage.
Their debut album is produced by electronica guru Matthew Herbert and released through Hebert's own label.
Most tracks can best be classified as smooth soul, and are so immaculately produced and flawlessly played that they glide seamlessly into one another.
The result is undoubtedly classy (and at times classical) in scope but the tendency to drift in an unhurried manner means that it is a relief that a few tracks approximate more to a hard rock dynamic; albeit with distinctly arty credentials.
The opening track, Litmus Test is the album's second single (the first being Gypsy of the Soul) and encapsulates the strengths and weaknesses of the album.
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Over six and half minutes, it builds layer by layer like a mini prog-rock symphony with elegant guitar lines discreetly in harmony with the choral vocals. It is refined and seductive to the point of dispensing with any real sense of passion; characteristics that are replicated in other tunes like Time and Echoes.
The more assertive Pinter with choppy Radiohead-like drum and guitar interchange shows another aspect of the band with an urgency absent from the half dozen songs that precede it.
This and the anthemic Powercut are forthright tunes that make for a welcome contrast to the poised and precious atmosphere of the album overall.
This is an impressive first album but one that I strongly suspect will garner far more praise in the smart papers than with the common or garden rock fan.
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