The original Memory Band plan, despite flying in the face of fashion, was inspired by the music and ethos of everyone from the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Brass Monkey and The Etchingham Steam Band to Dr Dre, Aerial M and Fennesz (amid a plethora of other, extraordinarily diverse influences). Stephen seemed bent on creating a place where bucolic instrumental reveries met cut'n'paste computer techniques, but with a wistful, accessible 'man in a shed' aesthetic always to the fore. Tracing a partial journey back from the live band formula and into the digital clutches of the computer again, many of the new tracks were built from a moiré of digital loops, though a considerable number of tracks were captured completely live. Indeed, far from concreting over the hedgerows, "Apron Strings", as the LP would be dubbed, echoes to the very non-machine-like talents of singer Nancy Wallace (whose own Young Hearts EP had been released by Hungry Hill the previous year - to rave reviews) along with inspirational violin courtesy of Jennymay Logan, with well-travelled viola player Rob Spriggs adding his resonant signature. Beats/drums were provided by the band's rocket scientist-in-residence Rhys Morgan, while (now Domino artist) Adem and Al from Hot Chip turned in sparkling cameos and latest recruit Simon Lord (once of Simian, latterly of Garden) played bass and sang. "Apron Strings" was subtitled "Songs Of False Love And True" which underscores it's primary concerns: the nadirs, epiphanies and all-round poignancy of love. From the joyous expectation of "Come Write Me Down", with its bucolic but loverlorn air, spiralling string lines and declamatory, "That's where my fancy lies" refrain, all the way to Nancy's touching, wind-through-the-treetops makeover of Carly Simon's "Why", the album rifles through melodies and love stories from the past, the present and the future, then draws it's own conclusions. 

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