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If you wonder what might have happened to the RENAISSANCE song "The Sisters" after John Tout's chimeric piano intro if it had not chosen the Spanish folk song door that time around, IAMTHEMORNING's debut might sew up that 35 year old needling obsession. I'm speaking of mere inspiration, as this duo and their mostly string heavy guests focus on more of a succinct chamber style, an intimate but highly charismatic sound. Marjana Semkina's vocals and Gleb Kolyadin's acoustic piano are the focus, which assure continuity even amongst the very occasional electric guitar outbursts and vivacious violin, viola and cello.

More contemporary comparisons would be a more forthright KATE BUSH, a less compressed and claustrophobic KARNATAKA, a less eerie WHITE WILLOW, a less new age oriented NIGHTNOISE, or even a more Nordic CORDE OBLIQUE, pleasant company indeed. This is a release that could find, if not mass appeal, fans among those who might be more or less indifferent to the aforementioned.

Punctuated by curt "Intermission" tracks numbered from I to VII, curiously not all of which are instrumental, and almost as ephemeral songs, this debut manages to blend both artfully, while interspersing a few relatively aggressive excursions, "Scotland", "Monsters" and "I.B. Too". I note that the melody to the plucky "Weather Changing" is more than a smidgeon like that of "Between the Rooms" by German symphonic band ANYONE's DAUGHTER, which was one of those "I need to figure out whom this remind me of" moments! Other favourites are the oddly named "Touching II", perhaps because its predecessor didn't make the cut and they forgot to renumber it; and the catchy "Serenade".

At this point I don't know how many readers who would love this band haven't heard them yet, as I know I'm rather late to the party. It's sometimes hard to sit down and write about a modern act when all I want to do is bask in its bloom. But it never hurts to give them a bump up and to reaffirm that, if gentle piano and female vocals in a folk meets classical style is a description that you fancy, do give IAMTHEMORNING the time of day.