Velvet Grooves

Max Richter is back with the follow-up to his masterful 'Blue Notebooks'. Hopes were high on this one!

Upon initial impression I was disappointed... I was expecting something to Better 'Blue Notebooks', so to start with I was highly judgemental and disappointed. But the key with Max Richter’s music is how much effort you put into listening. With his earlier work, Memory House & Blue Notebooks, not much effort is needed to discover the beauty within - and still Notebooks manages to retain its place in one of my favourite records.

Richter’s music is filled with complexity, which becomes more and more enjoyable the more attention you give. With 'Songs From Before', it requires more attention to absorb the goods as this is a more delicate piece although closer in comparison to Memory House. Fewer instruments make their way into the album than on Notebooks. Instead the album is more suited to lush strings, simple (and sometimes complex) piano arrangements, occasional ambience leaning towards Aphex Twins 'Ambient Works' series and dialogue snippets from Haruki Murakami, read by Robert Wyatt.

But don't let this lack of instruments drag you down - the emotional depth is still there. Even deeper if you give it lots of attention...

His best album to date? I don't think so - my heart is still truly with Blue Notebooks. But still, a great effort and a great album.