Tunng’s second album is a disappointing follow up to ‘Mother’s Daughter and Other Songs’. The first album and subsequent singles have been an intoxicating hybrid of acoustic folk and inventive electronica but, coinciding with their move to Full Time Hobby, something’s happened. They’ve gone from bedroom music to dinner party album in one swoop. Partly it’s the irritating and intrusive sampling that puts you in mind of the super-twee Lemon Jelly. Then there’s the sense that the clicks and scratches are added because they’re what we expect them to do – not because it’s what the songs need. The otherwise wonderful ‘Jenny’ has niggling samples almost but not quite undermining its delicate acoustic beauty while the refrain of ‘Woodcat’- “and we all had a lovely time” – leaves an unpleasant taste of overpowering cuteness after the otherwise pretty and intriguing song (girl changes into hare) finishes. There are songs as good as before – ‘Jay Down’ creates a fascinating tension from the mix of instrumentation and effects and ‘Sweet William’ is more traditional sounding – but you have to be a lot more selective this time around. It’s pop, but not in a good sense of the word.

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