Awash with understated harmony and shuffling, fractured rhythm, a languid tone of contemplation permeates Return To X's nine tracks. From the unctuous double bass and spine-tingling harpsichord effects of the opening Fathom's Down to the military percussion and undulating strings of Blues For VC, Return To X evokes a raft of evocative imagery. Close your eyes and its wayward widescreen panharmonics conjure scenes of rain-soaked streets in unnamed cities, smokey basement clubs and moonlit rendezvous; while a romantic sense of intrigue calls to mind smokey jazz clubs the darkest films noir.

Existing in the shadowy space between past and future, this album perfectly captures the nebulous nature of now: sweeping surges of rhythm and melody, constantly shifting, building and fading away.