In 2001, back in the heady days of the Post Rock Boom, people of all sorts were making strange music that ebbed and flowed. Jimmy LaValle was one such person, and this record was his second foray into this genre.

The music here is light, gently flowing. LaValle played guitar in Tristeza, who were more in the Mogwai / guitar rock vein of post-rock, and with The Album Leaf, he let loose and made something closer to ambient music.

When I first heard this back in 2001, it was like a breath of fresh air.

He's still releasing records as The Album Leaf, although the band has now become a mostly synth based electronica act, on this record LaValle plays drums on two tracks, The MP, which has long ben my favorite on this record, and Asleep. Fellow Triztezan Christopher Sprague is credited with "drum programming" and guitars on In Between Lines which has a fun swaggering beat, and also added guitars on The MP.

The rest of the music is all LaValle, mostly on guitar and keyboards.

I have been listening to this record for years. It's been out there, and I am not going to go over it song by song, but there are a few thoughts I have had on listening to the remaster.

The song Story Board starts with a conversation between LaValle and the producer of the record who has the odd name of Rafter Roberts. They chat about recording, and then LaValle plays a nice guitar part while apparently standing on the highway. At least, that is what I have always thought. There is a constant roar in the background that I, an inhabitant of an inland city, think of as the sound of a distant highway. But LaValle and Roberts recorded this in San Diego, and listening to it now I wonder if that is the sound of the surf hitting the beach there. Beach seems a lot more on theme for southern California, but honestly I do not know. Huh. It's a fun, light track that reminds me of his In An Off White Room EP.

The MP is my favorite track here, but I also really like Wet the Day, which is droning and echoey, and Audio Pool, which has a nice drum riff and a nice keyboard part

But it's a great record, and I am pleased to have it on vinyl now. And Numero Group did a good job with the remaster. I mean, look how pretty this thing is:

(Admire the pretty vinyl and ignore the dust around the turntable. Honestly, what was i thinking getting a glossy black plastic turntable in a house with two cats....)

And it sounds great. Truly a classic of early 2000s post-rock.