As if proof were needed that post-rock is very much a worldwide concern, A Gilbert Play hail from Sweden. Rather than take the more popular quiet/loud Mogwai route, this group's nearest influence are Tortoise, with whom they share an admiration for jazz time signatures and xylophones. The use of analog instruments on 'Slope' certainly lends the project a more natural feel and although there's occasional evidence of noodling and self-indulgence there's a gift for melody at the core to most of their work. Their peak arrives at the mid-point of the record as the beguiling tunes of 'Nästa Huvud, Herr Storm' and 'From A Lonely Hitsville' lodge into the brain in a manner that would make their more exalted peers very envious indeed. The lovely, languid 'Sway' is another highlight. So in a quietly persuasive manner, A Gilbert Play have served notice that Scandinavia are definitely on the post-rock map.