Lake of Tears imbue their music with something that is terribly lacking in today's by-the-numbers bands. Soul. Take the sombre yet hopeful "Like a Leaf" for example, or "Waiting Counting", with its subtle nods to The Gathering's mid era keyboards. Every song sounds ever so slightly nostalgic, brushing with Seventies aesthetics reformulated and filtered through the Nineties and the new millennium. This is no hard rock trying to be metal with atmosphere sort of thing. The band has evolved from its early doom years to something that is rather hard to categorise.

_Moons and Mushrooms_ sounds like a cross between _Forever Autumn_ and _A Crimson Cosmos_, taking the emotional depth of the former and the groovy elements of the latter, with a bit of the harsher guitar introduced in _Black Brick Road_ -- at times slow and pondering, and elsewhere faster and sharper. Closer "Planet of the Penguins" leans heavier on doom influences, with a long drawn and captivating solo that fits perfectly as a parting bookmark.

At under forty minutes, the album is on the short side; but it leaves you wanting for more when it has already satisfied you. There is absolutely no filler, no weak moments, no wankery. Just good music and solid songwriting.

If you think I'm overrating the album, it is probably because you are not a Constant Listener. If so, bummer for you. I personally am looking forward to this band ever evolving and fine tuning their musical output.