SOLACE
Last time we encountered Solace main man DS Gibson, he was reciting portentous poetry about plagues and stuff in a broad Australian accent. A year or so down the line he's teamed up with fellow antipodean producer Ramsay McInnes and moved into the land of ambient jazz and trip hop. Initially it's a pleasantly mellow trip with singer Sivan Raphael lending her smoky tones to opening track `Rachael', her reverie interrupted briefly by some Yossou N'Dour-style male vocals. After this promising start, however, things tend to drift somewhat, Sivan doing her soul diva impersonation semi successfully but the whole thing sounding too polished and lacking character. DS Gibson wishes peace upon us in his accompanying letter and as `She Keeps' wanders amiably into Sade territory verily it descends, a warm soporific fug of coffee table soul enveloping the room