Secret City Vinilo y CD

Review: 18 months in the making, Canada's Braids have had plenty of time to refine their work and perfect their trade ahead of this return to the release schedule. And it certainly shows. Co-produced by Chris Walla of the iconic Death Cab For Cutie, the result of this patient approach and collaborative relationship is an album that's intimate and yet massive, heartbreaking but hopeful, for want of less cliched descriptions. Tracks like 'Eclipse' perfectly exemplify what's so good about this collection. Highly emotive stuff, piano work seems capable of finding its way into our dreams, with soaring string refrains and the powerful vocal cries of Raphaelle Standell-Preston boring routes directly into your soul. Tender and also rallying, much like the rest of this record, its impact stays with you long after the final notes fade.