
Long on title but short on pace and visceral thrills, the latest offering from Charles Atlas concentrates on the quiet, understated side of modern instrumental music. The trio of Sacha Galvagna, Charles Wyatt and Matt Greenberg are masters of creating deeply moving music that borrows from the great and the good without ever seeming to tread old ground. The bleakly introspective 'Signal Flags' is a reminder of how good Mogwai used to be, 'Demus' is comparable to Bark Psychosis' inspired deployment of jazz and 'Neither Nor' would have been in good company on Labradford's superb 'Fixed::Context'. 'Primo Levi' is essentially a plaintive piano piece capable of drawing up deep wells of emotion in the classic style of Satie. Yet their own stunning work of art is 'Photosphere' where each chord change adds a new dimension in elegiac beauty. Consistently warmer in tone than its predecessor 'Worsted Weight', 'Tothedust...' sees the heart beneath the enigma.