A Mountain Of One - Institute Of Joy (Ten Worlds) Following on from 'Collected Works' (a collection of EP tracks), 'Institute Of Joy' is AMOO's first album, and it's huge, both sonically and emotionally. Whilst the group are essentially a duo (Mo Morris and Zeben Jameson), the resultant music is stadium-esque in scale and sound, touching on everything from gospel to blues, folk and even Balearic ambience. 'Sky Is Folding' sets the tone for the album's decidedly serious psychedelic rock, with its sinister strings, dreamy vocals and plaintive guitars, all of which slowly build and coalesce with a touch of Pink Floyd-esque psychedelics. The Floydian influence is notable elsewhere, most overtly on the epic stadium balladry of 'Lie Awake', which could be The Hours, Coldplay, or even Oasis if they had a bit more imagination. Elsewhere there are nods to Santana and Fleetwood Mac (the sound of 70s is the album's over-riding feel), UNKLE's recent cinematic darkness, plus the Verve at their best or even Spiritualized (but without the tiresome junkie somnambulance). Although the slightly murky production seems a tad overdone at times, there's no denying the power of this majestic, fiercely ambitious music. Don't be surprised to see this omni-present in the Albums Of The Year lists. MS Review originally published by CMU Music Network www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk