The Diamond Family Archive
Album: Rook Songs
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 5
Website: http://www.thediamondfamilyarchive.com

If you're thinking the plywood sleeve looks good, there's a reason for that, it is plywood. That alone should tell you that in Laurence Collyer, aka The Diamond Family Archive, you are dealing with an artist off the beaten track.

There are at least two great passions associated with The Diamond Family Archive, music is the obvious one and listening to that it becomes obvious that the other is wandering about in the countryside absorbing it's compelling beauty.

"Rook Songs", like nature is ephemeral, the free five track version available via his website varies in size and running order from the version I'm listening to again as I write this review. There are times, when listening to this that I feel it may have been recorded in a field whilst trying to avoid disturbing the majesty of nature around him.

People, places, journeys all are captured on these tracks, along with reference to birds and trees etc that they all super impose themselves on and have imposed on them. If that sounds a little tree huggy, don't be put off, it's not done in a glitter and fey way, no this is an ep of delicately arranged albums, simplicity having a different beauty to the more complex.

This is also very much an introducing type EP. Last year The Diamond Family Archive delivered a series of twelve five track eps, all of which are still available, that reflect the progression of time and to a significant extent thoughts. There is no worry about him putting himself out there to be heard.

At times I found an almost medative quality to "Rook Songs" it's the ep the word chillax could have been invented for. The restless nature of some of the songs creating a strange juxtaposition with the sense of being then inspire.

Neil King