A Mote of Dust – A Mote of Dust

It’s been a while since we last heard from Craig Beaton. While his Unwinding Hours colleague Iain Cook has reaped success with Chvrches, Beaton’s been hiding himself away – deep in contemplation, if the delicate beauty of A Mote Of Dust is anything to go by.

Named after a Carl Sagan quote, and recorded by Paul Savage (who’s never produced a lousy record), this is an album awash with tenderness and emotional honesty, each of the nine tracks an étude in dislocation; acoustic guitar, piano, and the bittersweet catharsis of self-portraiture (“I’ve made mistakes; that’s how we find our way,” he admits ruefully on finale Home).

Pull Me Back In speaks of damage and drama; Wolves In The Valley is a porcelain ballad with ghostly choir, while Eve even manages to tackle the Book of Genesis. And throughout (instrumental title track excepted), Beaton’s vocals drift like smoke, concussed and gentle; it's been a while, but it’s grand to have him back.