Dreamy, beautiful guitar music to drift along in, a haven from the wider storm of day to day living.

Constant Smiles have existed as a kind of collective for sixteen years, yet Ben Jones has been the only real constant. The rest of the line-up has revolved frequently until 2022 where it finally gained a more solid footing as drummer/vocalist Nora Knight joined Jones and longtime bassist Spike Currier. Conversely the sound of the band has shifted significantly over the years. Early albums were rough and experimental. Jones has a prolific song writing rate and has driven out a lot of albums and material. It was 2021’s ‘Run To Stay’ that finally gave them a genuine hit and gave them a sound that they had been striving for. The new album is a quality and sophisticated piece of work with a large supporting cast. The guests are a mix of other members of the Constant Smiles collective, and other artists who have collaborated on this album.

This is a gloriously lo-fi collection of delicate tunes and heartfelt vocals. There is a joy in the simplicity of it, though the array of guest spots allow for a range of instrumentation to come in and out at different points. ‘Allowed to Be’ is a thing of beauty. A song to soundtrack a thousand bad relationship problems on film.

Wednesday Knudsen provides a great guest lead vocal on ‘Harriman.’ It has a sincere sound boosted by strings and wind instruments, the winning factor a bit of in the background saxophone. As an apology its refrain of “I am trying so hard to be a better person” would have me believing the person delivering it. Life can be tough, but we can strive to do better.

A number of the tracks contain a similar guitar rhythm and drumming style. It could have ended up too similar and repetitive, but the slight variations act like a kind of Sliding Doors moment. From the same point we see slightly different outcomes. The feeling of Déjà vu you get works well in the context of the overall gentle, dreamy and relaxed feeling the album imparts.

It all comes to a finale with the gorgeous single ‘Time Measured in Moonflowers.’ Support this time from New York singer-songwriter Cassandra Jenkins, who Mitski had as a support act on her UK tour a few years back. The video is subtly influenced by Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Wind Rises”, which Jones was obsessed with during the making of the album.

This is a lovely album to drift along in and lose yourself for a while. A piece of calm and quiet among the busy hustle and bustle of everyday life.