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Album reviews: The Last Bright Light, by Mostly Autumn

with a lilting acoustic guitar and a voice, which has become even more graceful and gorgeous since the last album "The Spirit of Autumn Past" By now her style can be seen as being in the same vein as that of Julianne Regan of All About Eve and there is much in common with the two singers and their bands. However just when you are starting to fall in love with the hauntingly rich tones of her voice, this short piece ends leaving you wanting more, a mere vocal tease, but there is much more to come.

Jennings opens up the next song with a take on Holsts "Jupiter" from the Planets, and you know that this much over used intro is going to spawn something big. It comes as no surprise as a whole wave of big rock sounds are unleashed with "Dark Before The Dawn" Josh rasps and drives with sheer emotion as Findlay soars above with a vocal counter point. Flutes carry the mellower interludes, guitars provide the power to drive the choruses, stadium rock maybe, but there is nothing clich here, just some fine and powerful interplays between the band. The music seems busy at times but it all seems to find its place and none of the instruments seem unnecessary.

In the Jennings penned "Hollow" again Findlay does what she does best. That voice cuts through and with its simple accompaniment of minimal piano, occasional electric guitar phrase the most basic of additions from the rest of the band as the song builds. As well as sharing some qualities with the aforementioned Ms Regan, there is a breathy Dido quality to her voice here. But where as Dido seems to have one vocal setting, lovely though it is, Findlay has a whole range of sounds on offer.

"Prints in the Stone," returns to a personal place for Brian Josh. The death of his father was a catalyst that started his journey that became Mostly Autumn, wanting to express his emotions through his songs. Remembering time spent exploring the mountains and hills of the Lake District with his father, the song is an up beat acoustic ballad with a typical change of tempo for the middle eight. Vocals are put to good use on this song, even bringing in Liam Davidson, usually confined to the guitar. And if "Prints in the Stone" seems to stay on a fairly balanced level, the following track "Last Bright Light" is all over the place, but in a good way. Its gentle opening is deceiving, building up with an almost Gregorian Chant in the background it rises and swoops in customary fashion, some times falling to the most minimal of guitar phrases and


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