Gorky's Zygotic Mynci have hit something of a groove since 1999's "Spanish Dance Troupe" moved their sound away from the wild eclecticism of previous works such as the excellent "Barafundle" towards something more melodic and folksy. "The Blue Trees" mini-album and 2001's "How I Long To Feel That Summer In My Heart" followed in a similar vein and then a two year break brings us to this.

"Sleep/Holiday" is Gorky's' best album. "Waking For Winter" sets the autumnal pace and the beautiful "Happiness", at once tear jerking and soaringly hopeful, is the best song they've written since "Faraway Eyes". "Mow The Lawn" is the spiritual cousin of "Poodle Rockin'" and sees singer Euros Childs twisting his fragile voice into a Jerry Lee Lewis rock & roll yelp. It's also the only really electric song on the record. Elsewhere piano, violin and acoustic guitar dominate the sound, usually some combination of the above as on the Dylanesque "Only Takes A Night" where the violin floats over Nick Drake guitars before fading out and back in again, this time with an electric bass for an outro oddly reminiscent of The Waterboys.

Throughout the album references to water and the sea abound but this is not the sea as we find it in the world of such Liverpool bands as The Coral and Shack. The world best described in "Single To Fairwater" is a dreary, grey, closed down for winter, windswept minor tourist town seaside more reminiscent of excellent and overlooked English coastal types Clearlake.

"Sleep/Holiday" then, holiday coming in the form of the uncertain romance of "The South Of France" and sleep taking the form of the final two songs, "Pretty As A Bee" and "Red Rocks", drowsy lullabies both where Childs' vocals are taken down so low that they nearly aren't there. This is a delicate, poetic and profoundly sad record, a mature and gentle counterpoint to the noisy guitar wielding garage youth of the day, the world became a more beautiful place for the existence of this album.

The Japanese release reviewed here contains two extra tracks both of which sound like Stereolab. -Ian Martin, Oct.07.03

Sleep/Holiday