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Andy Jarvis impressed me a lot with his acoustic guitar duets with Ben Reynolds. Sculptress is the improv unit/group/collective that he heads, and on this recording he is joined by his sister Mikarla, M. Delaney, and Andy Robbins. This Phrase Appeals to You unfortunately has nothing to do with the Neil Young song "This Note's For You." Instead, it's short 3 to 6 minute highlights from what I assume are much longer improvised recording sessions. The prominent and usually straightforward use of cello and other strings makes the group's sound straddle the line between experimental chamber pop like The Sonora Pine and more purely experimental nature yearnings like Jewelled Antler. Although I have to say there's a strong sense of the Shire on this release. These are the sounds of the British countryside, small green farms with cobblestone walls, manually tilled. (Hey, is that a flute on "Wing on the Wing..." or an outright fife?) There's no Fahey oogling or weird folk posing. "White Mice and Stinkbombs..." sounds like morning dew. So still and quiet, the cello slowing shaking off the moisture, revealing the crop to the morning light. "Snail..." is a solemn piano dirge, ghostly electronics flowing through the air to visit Mikarla's sad cooing vocals. Although not everything is so slow; "In a Sea of Visions" clangs and clatters like the best Davenport tracks, dragged along for the ride by a steady acoustic guitar pluck. Jarvis and crew are certainly deft, however the short pieces leave me a little disconnected. The phrases appeal, for sure, but nothing stays around long enough for me to get wrapped up into the music, and the more experimental pieces, like "Colour of a Pound Coin," hamper the album's flow. Still it's quiet, pretty, soothing, enjoyable music. If you prefer to start your morning with a bowl of berries instead of a jolt of caffeine, this might fit the bill just perfectly.

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