Wisdom Of Harry's 'House Of Binary' showcased the emergence of Pete Astor as a master of trip-hop and dark, ghostly pop. Making further inroads in to lo-fi production, 'Torch Division' sees Astor embrace a more song-based approach with his vocals far more to the fore, drawing comparisons with Baby Bird or perhaps even Eels. Certainly the vocals aren't up to the standard of Mark 'E' Everett but standouts 'Crash Helmet' and 'Tinseltown' boast coutrified melodies that linger in the memory. Sadly, these songs prove to be the exception rather than the rule as overly simplistic tunes take over. This only serves to highlight the lack of range and emotive power in Astor's vocals, something which he more than made up for in the predecessing album because of his deft skills in instrumentation and studio know-how. So, like his earlier 80's career with indie also-rans The Loft, Astor is once more in need of inspiration.