Steve Wells: Songs for Summer Rain (digital outlets)

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Steve Wells: Songs for Summer Rain (digital outlets)

This artist's name will be familiar if you remember the hugely popular rock band Fur Patrol who had a number one single with Lydia in 2001 and relocated to Melbourne. They started at the bottom over there, but still toured and recorded.

Guitarist Wells quit the band in 2004 and went to Paris with his family where he started a successful career as a fashion photographer.

But here he is again with an album on which guitar is the least obvious element on a collection of (mostly) instrumentals which have a dreamlike, gravity defying feel (Under the Waves), ease towards elegant electro-prog (Makeshift Heart), cinematic ambience (See Softer,), moody prog-rock (Not What You Want, Look Out the Window) . . .

For anyone who has explored similar albums which have appeared over the past few decades, Songs for Summer Rain is perhaps more interesting than essential.

But if Wells wanted a calling card for soundtracks, sound design in films or simply to nudge his way into ambient music he's got one here.

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