CD: HEY080-2
RELEASED: 2008
LABEL: Heyday

01. Alain Delon
02. Let Me Tell You A Secret
03. Lover's Head
04. The Guessing Game
05. Stop Cryin' Your Eyes Out
06. The Muse
07. The Striker
08. Surrounded
09. Already Dead
10. Hopes And Fears

Marty Willson-Piper?s day job is still with Aussie rock band the Church, but when it comes to his outside efforts, you could say he?s non-denominational. With an ample solo career, stints with Brit folk rockers All About Eve and Noctorum - a sometime side project with bassist Dare Mason - Willson-Piper seems to rarely sit still. It?s impressive that quantity doesn?t impinge on his quality; although he rarely strays from the Church?s dreamy, semi-psychedelic motif, he also proves a prolific songsmith under his own aegis. The latest example of his productive prowess falls under the guise of Offer The Light, Noctorum?s second effort and a superb, if somewhat belated, follow-up to the duo?s fine 2003 debut, Sparks Lane. It starts with the lovely, guitar solo-adorned ?Alain Delon? and the rather beautiful ?The Guessing Game?, culminating with the seven-minute by-a-dying-fire strumalong that is ?The Muse?. For those fans who haven?t been able to get enough of The Church through the band?s hectic recent release schedule, this second helping of Noctorum will absolutely hit the spot. It?s a well-produced, well-performed set from an obvious veteran of the industry. In other words, Offer the Light is everything it should be. Playing practically all the instruments between them, they create rich aural impressions, from the sweeping cosmic revelry of "Let Me Tell You A Secret" and "Stop Cryin? Your Eyes Out" to the mellow acoustic tapestry of "Hopes And Fears, " "The Muse" and "The Striker." A gorgeous, multi-textured affair, Offer The Light shines brightly.

Influences / Similar Artists:
The Church, Steve Kilbey, Peter Koppes, Noctorum, Jack Frost