Boards of Canada’s The Campfire Headphase is out today. Critical response is more muted than on their past full-length albums, which were immediately hailed as masterpieces.

Those who are expecting another Geogaddi (what with all the multiple layers of sampled weirdness and hidden meanings) may be disappointed by this record, as it doesn’t feature as much in the way of Things To Be Decoded. Instead, it has a warmer, more organic sound than its predecessors, thanks to the addition of guitars into the mix. Vocals samples are near absent or, if present, are mutated into being just another instrument in the mix.

All this is to say it’s a pretty damn good listen. Headphones are a necessity, especially on the album’s coda (“Farewell Fire”).

I hereby nominate “Dayvan Cowboy” as the perfect song for this particular autumn. Pure, crisp bliss it is.

BTW, I have mentioned that Bleep rocks, right? Good.

Next up: Kate Bush. Can’t you feel the crushing weight of expectation?