Peter And Wolf may not be well-known but their ambiguity (the album has been sitting on someone’s shelf for four years before a release date was set – their live shows are just as chaotically scheduled) and underground popularity have bred a certain mystique that’s wholly justified by this dense record. Recorded in 2002 and 2003, its format is predictably left-field with no title obvious and a rag-tag mix of styles and methods apparent on most tracks. The result is, at first, a little too odd to get to grips with. Listen to ‘Simmi’ and ‘Amma’ for perfect examples of this quandary. Given time, however, individual pieces and sounds start to jump out at you, such as the psychedelic elegance of ‘Bed Head’ and the gentle folk of ‘Late Night Lover’. It’s like finding something you’ve been looking for just before you give up searching – what a nice feeling that is.

THE VERDICT Understated but purposeful, once the multitude of tracks and styles become familiar. listen & buy www.chingchingblingbling.com/