MareOlde English Spelling Bee ****

It's easy to tell that New Jersey's Julian Lynch has a good listening ear. As befits a budding ethnomusicologist who worked at the Smithsonian Institution's record label, Lynch is a dab hand at spotting and signalling the ins and outs of sonic textures, and he knows what it takes to stitch these into new tapestries. Moreover, Lynch has the presence of mind to make Marea quiet, subtle, graceful trip, an album full of thought-provoking scenery, gentle twists and intricate shapes. He proves to be a fascinating sculptor, slowly drawing you closer to the heart of unstagey dramas, while letting the spikes and stings in his ambient palatte punctuate the mood swings. Mareis a rather rough-and-ready affair, but it's coherent, warm and dynamic for all of that. See myspace.com/julianlynch

Download tracks:Just Enough, A Day at the Racetrack, Still Racing