McShee and
Jansch are back, with Conway and Portman-Smith, but Peter Kirtley handles the electric guitars and some of the singing this time. The band moves a little more easily within acoustic and electric timbres in the same song, the transitions are smoother from folk to rock, and Conway's drums are held in check. This album has a more contemporary orientation than its predecessor, with blues figuring large in the music and McShee's singing more jazz- (especially "Colour My Paintbook") and pop-oriented as well, amid traditional numbers like "The Toss of Golden Hair" and "The Lark In the Clear Air." The results are pleasant, if a bit nondescript -- not as satisfying for longtime fans, owing to the more modern sound displayed here.