"Nothing's Wrong" is singer Jenn's claim. We don't believe her of course. At first she claims 'I'm OK – alone in this dark place I love always'. Perhaps she has found comfort in giving up the fight? Has she found peace in accepting her reality? It would appear not. The rest of the song is a stream of disturbing imagery at odds with the cake-icing prettiness of the music. The tension between the message of the words and the music is a classic one, but it allows for greater complexity of emotion to be communicated. The fairytale imagery of the opening song is continued in "Reflection" with Jenn asking: 'Mirror, mirror on the wall/Tell me what I am supposed to be'. This song is about the acceptance that we will never achieve perfection. These truths are evident even when consumed in written form. There's something about setting them to music that makes them seem even more profound and eternal.

A rippling guitar sound dominates "The Message". If the dials had been set any higher it would sound like R2-D2 but Tearwave get away with it. There are some awkward lurches between different parts of the song, which keeps the listener on their toes. The climax of the song is suitably vast, conjuring the some of the more dramatic moments of The Cure's Disintegration album. There are some large-sounding drums during "Falling From Grace", the listening of which gives the me the impression of being caught in a river that is flowing several directions at once. It's a disorientating experience, not a wholly pleasant one, but it's important for a band like Tearwave to ensure their music doesn't drift into the background. "Can't Go Home" has a hint of My Bloody Valentine's obstreperous nature in the guitars.

"Claiming Life" passes pleasantly, though offers us little different from what has gone before. I wonder whether it was wise of Tearwave to include 17 songs on this album. I like what I hear, but is there enough variety to hold my attention for the whole album? It's almost as if Tearwave knew I would be feeling this way, as they serve a curveball by offering a cover of The Church's "Under The Milky Way". It works brilliantly, remaining true to the song – yet offering something new. "Read Me" sounds fresher for the change of pace offered by the previous song. There are moments of rhythmical invention, before towers of chiming guitar are paraded for your entertainment. "Love Only Makes Me Weak" features some beautiful string-like sounds. It sounds like standard Tearwave, until three minutes in when things take a dark turn. The swirling guitars remind me of Autumn's "How It Came To Be This Way".

"Ripped Apart" is built around Jenn's voice and an acoustic guitar, albeit it one that's heavily dressed in effects. There's a feel of All About Eve. It adds a much needed note of variety into the proceedings. Meanwhile "Comfort In Angels' Wings" is pleasant, but not memorable. "First Time" has a galloping rhythm, which somehow seems disconnected to Jenn's vocals. The song ends in a deliberately discordant manner. "Forgettable Name" has a spiralling sound that gives this song an Eastern flavour. The whole song is filled with strange noises, from what sounds like a bouncing rubber ball to mysterious monks chanting dolefully. If we still existed in a world where we had b-sides, this has an experimental feeling that would suit that destination.

A strong bass leads "Question" which also features some serious flanging and Jenn's vocals under a gauze of effects. There's more fairytale imagery, with a reference to 'the looking glass'. The under-whelmingly titled "72 BPM" brings the album to a close. The sound of a heart beat provides an unusual rhythmic backing.

While Tearwave are following in the wake of such bands as Slowdive and Chapterhouse, there is a muscular rhythmic inventiveness on offer that gives the band their own identity. The music is pretty, yet refuses just to become window dressing. There is some variety in their sound, but not quite enough over the 77 minutes. Perhaps the trick is not to listen to individual songs, but to let the whole album wash over you.