The Album Leaf is the recording moniker of guitarist Jimmy LaValle. Though LaValle's main commitment is as a member of San Diego-based post-rock outfit Tristeza, he has found time to record as a solo artist, creating lush, meditative instrumental albums that fall somewhere between Erik Satie, John Fahey, Brian Eno, and the Sea & Cake. IN A SAFE PLACE, LaValle's third full-length release and his debut for SubPop, builds on the spare, trance-like qualities of his first two albums, fleshing out the repetitive patterns and delicate textures with the help of digital shading and instrumental support from members of Icelandic rock group Sigur Ros.
The wispy, airy strains of the opener, "Window," put one in mind of Eno's AMBIENT 1: MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS, luring the listener into a bright netherworld. A soothing digital pulse backs a gentle, chiming guitar pattern in "On Your Way," while the hypnotic "Over the Pond" features a simple piano refrain repeated, then detailed with strings and Sigur Ros's accompaniment. The effect is a powerful one, giving dimension and contour to LaValle's already developed musical vision and, ultimately, making IN A SAFE PLACE the artist's strongest statement to date.
Professional Reviews
Q (p.104) - 3 stars out of 5 - "It's wallpaper you'll be glad you bothered to hang."
Magnet (p.80) - "LaValle knows his way around lush atmospherics and down-tempo post-rock..."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.101) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Warm-hearted yet measured, IN A SAFE PLACE taps deep springs of emotion and atmosphere without overheating."
this is a pretty good album from the album leaf, though i do find that this band is a bit slow at times, and sometimes lacks enough excitement to keep me interested enough to listen to th whole cd. eastern glow is a pretty good track though, it is the one that got me into these guys, as it was on the oc mix two