Producer Tim Freise-Greene is a man who relishes a challenge and you can see why he should regard this North-East London ensemble as a perfect match.
Freise-Greene's celebrated work on Talk Talk's albums is the ideal preparation for capturing the evocative, genre-defying sound
It is five-piece band's second album, the follow up to 2012's Lightships. Initially the group were known simply as Firefly, but now they are aflame.
The ten songs have elements of minimalist composition, Steve Reich in particular, as well as obvious strands from chamber folk.
Acoustic guitar, mandolin, cello, violin tie them to the European folk tradition but Eastern textures are present too in the form of gongs and the curiously named Gender that looks like an elaborate xylophone and is prominent in the Javanese gamelan.
Meticulous arrangements aside, it is the pure-pitched voice of Bea Hankey and the multi-layered vocal harmonies that are the cornerstones of their music.
Unwritten, the opening track, establishes the voices as the overriding 'instrument'. This song also features guest vocals from kindred spirit Auclair, a female artist in her own right.
The celestial nature of the music is evident throughout, heard best on the title track and readily gleaned from the plea to "take me, take me, liberate my soul" on Beloved.
The delicate, poetic tunes are melodically rich yet although there are moments of great beauty, the whole is never as transporting as it promises to be.
