The recommendation of Flaming Lips can't have done Japanese quartet Color Filter's chances of success any harm, that and their willingness to sing in English of course. Judging from 'Silent Way' they deserve all the attention they receive as the record is a fantastic paradigm for dreampop. They hit the mark every time whether conjuring up romantic images of star-filled skies ('Waiting For The Fall', 'Strange Day', 'Endless Word'), offering themselves as the Asian answer to the Cocteau Twins (the layered vocals of 'Stella Sea') and even using a Lips'-style big drum sound with huge washes of lush keyboards on the brilliant 'White Dots On Blue'. Full marks too for their version of 'Goin' Out Of My Head' which was blissful enough when recorded by The Zombies but here it reaches an even higher plateau. With not so much as an average track to offer, 'Silent Way' would be a highlight of any year.