Audio-Lava

Moody, ethereal and sounding like a step daughter of Portishead, Audio-Lava's biggest strength is vocalist Lisa Butel, who would be quite at home guesting with Massive Attack or Death In Vegas, or a dinner jazz album, for that matter. As the album wears on, however, it is impossible to not disassociate the duo from the southern English trend that the above-mentioned British band spearheaded - it is uncannily derivative and at least half a decade behind the times. The faux-blunted Duane Eddy ghost guitars, mid-tempos and overall minor chord feel is a carbon copy of something pioneered long ago, so very long ago.