No matter what happens in the future one feels that there will always be a niche for rainy day rock; this is a world where Joy Division rub shoulders with Echo And The Bunnymen and modern day bands such as Tindersticks, Lisp and now Black September. Their self-titled debut opens with a thoroughly miserable acoustic instrumental which sets the tone for most of the recording; it is swiftly followed by 'Glass Car' where stabs of harmonica and a loping reggae beat give way to Geoff Read's rich baritone; it is an excellent track although nothing quite reaches those dizzy heights (or should be that be 'lows') for the remainder of the album. Nevertheless 'Hook/Limestone' is a sprawling, admirable piece of melancholia and 'Nowhere' boasts a rousing chorus - although on an album as unconventional as this, there's little evidence of traditional song structures such as verse and chorus. Strangely, their nearest musical neighbours could well be the largely ignored Wolfgang Press whose earlier work revolved around doomy bass and glacial soundscapes which isolated all but the most committed of listener. Black September are an unfashionable group who clearly pay little attention to musical trends, setting off on their own meandering route; with a bit more focus they could yet be great.