Unseasonably warm air is pushing me home from the sands and dry mountains of El Paso, Texas- it couldn’t be more arid, dreaming of the sea, Gary Butcher has captured my imagination with his Café Del Mar by Gary B.- “Step Into the Sunshine”. This is one of those rare opportunities where I can honestly say that everyone that has heard this disk has raved, and enquired as to where they might find it.

This release represents a bold contribution to the Café Del Mar Series, which has been acclaimed by many, surpassed by only the finest, and is no small collection of artistic endeavors to add to in a significant manner. Gary B. has managed to find the heart of production and wed it seamlessly with the soul of acoustic, organic instrumentation and vocals. The album quickly draws you in with the first rate respect paid to the core of the album, which is clearly the organic live-meets-studio feel. Butcher’s soulful guitar arrangements and smooth vibe bring this album together; his musical talent is difficult to miss, and will not surprise those that are aware of his previous endeavors. The tracks are painstakingly dovetailed with ethereal, thoughtful lyrics sung beautifully by Gary Butcher “Gary B.” and others. 

“Step Into the Sunshine” slowly builds into a very compelling listen each time. From the Title Track to the radio-friendly “I have arrived”, Gary B. really sets the stage for a terrific album. It ebbs and flows through 13 tracks and I find myself completely immersed in it. Start to finish. This is a rarity. With any luck, Gary Butcher will be on our horizon for some years to come. I would highly recommend “Step Into the Sunshine” to anyone- especially Calmscape readers.

Goldfrapp (Alison Goldfrapp (vocals/synthesizer) and Will Gregory (synthhesizer) are a very interesting british band that have done alot for the electronic music scene over recent years.

The musical bliss of their debut album Felt Mountain won critical acclaim, but their sound failed to reach the masses. Later, Goldfrapp's second album Black Cherry incorporated glam rock elements which helped push their sound into nightclubs across the world. This sound influenced the dance-oriented sound of their third album  Supernature which gained Goldfrapp a large fan base and chart sucess.

So, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, their fourth album Seventh Tree is closer to their chilled out first album than the electro synth pop of their previous two offerings.

The albums opens with Clowns. A faintly oriental vocal combines with beautiful guitar work and lush strings. Later, angelic choirs help lifts the track even more, and birds can be heard tweeting in the background. It's mesmorising stuff, and a fantastic start to the album.

The next track Little Bird takes a more traditional song structure. Goldfrapp's mesmerising vocal combines well with the phycadelic synth sounds and guitar work. The track ends with a crescendo of percussion, reverbed vocal and swirling synth.

The album continues with the slightly more upbeat and bright Happiness, and the lush, almost Air like Road to Somewhere. Indeed, there's not a bad track in sight. Almost always epic, Goldfrapp's cinematic sun-kissed sounds are sometimes bright and breezy, sometimes full of sorrow. There is a definite folk edge throughout the album, mainly due to the acoustic guitar work, but this is carefully balanced with  skillfully interwoven electronica and Goldfrapps angelic voice. The overall sound is a cross between Air, Zero Seven, Beth Orton and The Beatles.

So, in reflection, I think this is Goldfrapps best album to date. It's probably a bit of a slow burner, and It may not meet the commercial success of their previous up-tempo offerings. But, from the first minute till the last, this is an enthralling, emotional album that deserves your attention.