With a slight band lineup change -- Joshua Ferman took over on drums from Allen, though he adds a few parts here and there -- Faith and Disease built on the strengths of its debut with an equally accomplished sophomore effort. A lovely cover and excellent overall recording quality assist it immeasurably -- the band's self-production, with help from Chris Hanzsek, is one of its hidden strengths not fully appreciated until hearing the results. Rosenwasser's again simply captivating voice, Cooley's bass playing sounds even more fluid and inspiring than before, and returning members Knouse and Tavares further help the band's own identity stand clearer. Opening track Healing Anne, a lengthy composition originally from a 1993 compilation and thus featuring Allen as a result, makes for an inspired start, but it's the bulk of the tracks, from a newer vintage, that truly entrance. Whether speaking of the slow, drone-touched synth orchestrations from Tavares that dominate Wallow, Rosenwasser's vocals softly keening through the music like a lost soul, or both excellent versions of the title track, soft medieval dances translated into a more modern moodiness, the band simply can't put a foot wrong. Two covers demonstrate not merely the range of the group's inspiration but its ability to put that spark into something new. Ashes Are Burning, a key track from early-'70s art/folk/rock sorts Renaissance, shines in a keyboards/vocals-only version. Even more astonishing is the reworking of the Cure's All Cats Are Grey, one of that group's most affecting, minimal numbers from the Faith album. The arrangement doesn't differ much, but the delivery, especially Rosenwasser's singing, is completely entrancing. Add to that a reinterpretation of Hashivenu, a Hebrew chant of a psalm with a centuries-old provenance that features a guest singer and violinist with Rosenwasser on an evocative, haunting performance, and Faith and Disease simply nails it once again. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi

1		Healing Anne
2		Hashivenu
3		Wallow
4		Fortune His Sleep I
5		Memorium
6		Ashes Are Burning
7		Jardeau Blue
8		Amelius Unhappy
9		Madrigal
10		All Cats Are Grey
11		Like Lillith
12		Fortune His Sleep II

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