MUNDI DOMINI

This overlooked album is a finely-crafted gem of rich texture and extraordinary beauty. Perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic is the unusual mix of instruments; how often do you hear compositions for sitar and accordion, for example? It's as if they gathered the most beautiful sounds from multiple cultures around the world -- acoustic guitar, piano, accordion, sitar, multiple flutes (joyously weaving in and out), all driven forward by a tasteful electric bass -- and carefully combined them into a series of gorgeous yet understated compositions. Most tracks are instrumental, but when vocals (sometimes wordless, sometimes in French) are present, they are a highlight, with multiple voices creating complex harmonies.

With the exception of Linda (which, while not a bad song, is not quite progressive enough for my tastes), the album has a general feeling that seems to be a mixture, in proportions that vary by track, of distinct and seemingly incongruous moods: simple pastoral beauty, the aching melancholy of mortality, the transcendent numinous joy of being alive. If you're familiar with Harmonium's Histoires Sans Paroles, you know what I'm talking about. In fact, this is the only album I've ever heard that I'd dare compare to Cinq Saisons; if you're a fan of Harmonium's masterpiece, you're sure to love this one as well.