Whilst Jimmy Lavalle enjoyed critical acclaim with his Album Leaf collaboration, the work of his earlier outing as part of Tristeza is an interesting body of work in its own right. Whilst still falling under the "post-rock" banner, 2000's 'Dream Signals In Full Circles' avoids the usual melancholic approach, opting for bright and hypnotic melodies. The dreamy pretty guitar textures of 'Respira' and 'Chiaroscuro' call to mind the work of Dif Juz from nearly twenty years previously. 'Aurora Borealis' follows a course into the more progressive, modish territory of Tortoise. The main criticism of this record is that most of the tracks are predominately made up of one - albeit very strong - hook, save 'I Am A Cheetah' and 'Are We People' which add multiple tuneful layers adding light and shade to the proceedings. Fascinating stuff and perhaps less mannered than the de-rigeur Scandinavian stylings of today's instrumental groups.