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The mind referred to in the first instance is that of Sidney Nolan -- landscape painter to be sure, but here the particular picture is not a landscape, nor even a simple portrait, but Nolan's own self-portrait (Williams used to go to his house to practise on his piano). So, just as landscape is governed by underlying geology, so a face is underwritten by the mind beneath it, and in any case the ways in which we see both are shaped by the press of our own personal mythologies. We can gain some idea of what that is in the case of Adrian Williams -- from his notes in the sleeve, from the choice of the particular poets he has set to music (alas, not on this disc), and of course from the music itself, but it is really the particular clarity and process of William's vision (his aural world-making and mapping) that make this such extraordinarily interesting music.

It is not particularly easy music though. Some effort on the part of the listener to match its density and intensity -- some several listenings -- are required before the real rewards -- beyond some surface charm (the four miniature Cantilenes here are really charming) [listen -- track 2, 0:00-0:44], some attractive melodic ideas, some intriguing rhythmic inflexion -- begin to pile up.

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To listen to the aural illustrations in this review, you may need to download RealNetworks' realplayer G2.