Strange Geometry

All the songs are credited to MacLean, Hornsey and Keen. MacLean played vocals, guitar, bouzouki, Rhodes piano and bells, Hornsey bass, piano, Hammond organ and percussion, and Keen drums, vocals, piano, Hammond organ and percussion; the strings were Nikki Gleed and Sarah Squires on violins, Charlie Stock on viola and Hannah Stewart on cello, arranged by Louis Philippe. The cover is The Viaduct (1963) by Paul Delvaux. The release date is August 29 or 30 by Wikipedia and September 5 on Pointy, with PopMatters giving October 11 for Merge. The recording took about two weeks, mostly in one to three takes, against a year for The Violet Hour, which MacLean produced himself; he said the producer said no reverb and slapped his wrist when he reached for the reverb dial.

Metacritic gives it 79; AllMusic 4 stars, PopMatters 8 out of 10, Uncut 4 and Tiny Mix Tapes 3. PopMatters's John Kenyon praised deft arrangements that complement and enhance those fragile melodies, and Dave Heaton at erasing clouds called it a collection of songs written by ghosts.