It's only reasonable to celebrate a band's tenth anniversary with a new CD; in Spiral Dance's case however, they've gone that one step further by making it quite possibly their best yet. They are now at the stage where they have a clearly definable sound -- still very much in evidence on this recording, but the maturity that comes with a decade together has enabled the band to expand somewhat in terms of style and subject matter.

Spiral Dance are still a Pagan folk-rock band at the base of it all, but they have expanded their material to include a broader variety of mythical/legendary themes than on previous albums. "Farewell Alexandria" draws on the myths surrounding Cleopatra while "Marie Celeste" is self-explanatory. The band has often done traditional songs or covers in concert, and a few such tracks are included here like the stage favourite "Boys Of Bedlam" and the Inkubus Sukkubus song "The Rape Of Maude Bowen" where Spiral Dance rock out most effectively. These traditional pieces sit comfortably alongside the original songs, mainly composed by lead singer Adrienne Piggott.

Spiral Dance often favour the accordion of Paul Gooding or the flute of Kerryn Schofield for lead instruments, both of which are integral to the distinctive sound of the group. Nick Carter's rhythmic guitar work is also an essential ingredient, and he proves to be a fine lead player when the need arises. Bass work is capably handled by Nigel Walters; in an interesting change, ex-bassist Kevin Sheehy has made a seemingly effortless move to drums. This is the first recording where there is no second female harmony singer, but the whole band generally now handles the backing vocals, with no loss in quality or the feeling that anything is particularly missing.

While Notes of Being boasts some fine instrumental work, the songs themselves really make the album. Consistent with previous recordings, they are melodic, well-arranged and frankly damn catchy! The heart and care put into the composition and performance is obvious on one level but on another, it would be difficult to not simply enjoy tracks such as "Hill Of Avalon" or "Moon & A Tinderbox" because they are simply great songs. In fact, when the band says in the booklet that they have been performing this material for over a year now, my thought was what a great shame it would have been for these songs to have not been recorded at all. And that's probably the best recommendation I can give.

GMR's interview with Spiral Dance is here