Dusky-voiced multi-instrumentalist Frida ?strand writes, plays, and sings darkish melodies, and augments them with delicately arranged strings and other bowed instruments ? harp saw, people! That outr? axe (?) and ?strand?s cello lend their drones to songs like ?Trees of Misery? and ?The Lavasong,? enlivening tunes that could otherwise be somewhat plain. Or not plain, exactly, because ?strand?s default mood in these songs seems to be a state of angsty reflection: ?I still drink lava for you,? etc. Not that there?s anything wrong with being young and all busted up and emotive. But it all sounds better when she adds the flightier instrumental filigrees to her laments, as they convey the poignancy that might otherwise be missed. Fans of Joanna Newsom or Vashti Bunyan would grok the lightness of ?strand?s arrangements here, especially when she breaks out the harp, and might look forward to her continuing growth as a songwriter too. 6/10 -- Sal Addays (28 June, 2006)