You would think that it would be more difficult for Ethereal/Shoegazer acts to find an audience these days than it used to be, and yet the style seems to continue forward in a healthy fashion despite its perceived limitations. Invariably the bands are compared to pioneers such as My Bloody Valentine and Love Spirals Downwards, but it's not enough to be just another clone of one of those originators. Something has to set you apart. There needs to be a reason for people to continue coming back for more which goes beyond similarities to past favorites.

From the onset it seemed that singer Erin Welton and multi-instrumentalist Scott Ferrell possessed the aptitude to make hauntingly diaphanous music, yet much of the duo's early work merely echoed the sonic pathways tread by the Dream Pop progenitors. While their initial recordings, such as 2002's Within The Depths Of A Darkened Forest and Over The Ocean from 2004, showcased the ability to deftly maneuver through exquisite soundscapes previously mapped out by LSD and the Cocteau Twins it wasn't until their fourth album, Shades Of Grey in 2006, that Autumn's Grey Solace seemed to seek out varietal textures that added new dimensions to their sound. Tracks like the heavy and insistent "Cold Sea" along with the curiously syncopated "In The Darkest Night" brought a new depth to their approach while forays into areas more familiar to fans of the Sundays ("Fodderwing") lifted Welton and Ferrell's efforts above and beyond those of comparable artists.

Their latest album, Ablaze, is as subconsciously alluring as the gorgeous cover that adorns the CD. With production that finally finds the perfect balance between Ferrell's instrumentation and Welton's beautiful vocals, it is Welton herself that benefits most from this new collection. Her voice sounds better and more full than it ever has before. Ferrell has evolved as a songwriter, fully realizing the potential of the subgenres he uses as a foundation for his dreamy song craftsmanship. There is no cheating with synth or keyboards. Each lush tone is brought about organically, though one cannot discount the effects of a myriad overdubs.

"Endlessly" starts things off with a lucid vocal melody that bests anything AGS has yet produced and slyly becomes more infectious with each spin. Welton is endearing and irresistible over the ringing guitar tones which take on truly celestial properties. They follow that up with the more straightforward "Fluttermoth," which fluidly explodes at the chorus into a soaring, stratospheric course of flight.

The searing instrumentation of "Immortal Muse" is juxtaposed by a breathy vocal performance while "A Rhythm That Writhes" blasts forward with menacing, distorted aural waves crashing upon the eardrums with a satisfying crunch. Autumn's Grey Solace have never sounded this confidently varied in their approach. Ablaze isn't an experimental album but it does serve as a laudable demonstration of the wide array of influences that have driven a talented act to create synergistic music worthy of a great deal of attention.

While both members have stepped up their game this time out it is Welton that is to be commended for exhibiting such controlled power and grace on each of these eleven tracks, boldly stretching her vocal capabilities during "Imaginary Grey," even if it can get a bit cloying during a few passages. Fortunately it never dissolves into an overly saccharine affair. And the uplifting album closer, "Angelspeak," owes a great deal to the singer's ability to just let go and allow her voice to float lithely above the fray.

There's no question that fans of the genre ought to include this in their collection. Ablaze ignites passions heretofore relegated to a dreamy, vaporous consistency. Yet it never crosses the line into the melodramatic, relying on simple atmospherics that manage to heighten a humanistic, emotional resonance. Even if you have yet to delve into this style of music a release this enjoyable makes for some satisfying exploration.