Robert Wratten, one time lead singer of the legendary twee-pop outfit The Field Mice and Northern Picture Library which have gone on to heavily influence the likes of Belle & Sebastian among others, has finally gotten around to releasing his current band Trembling Blue Stars "Bar None" debut after a long stint on "Sub Pop."

The Seven Autumn Flowers gets off to a banging start with the ambitious opener "Helen Reddy," surprisingly sung to perfection by keyboardist Beth Arzy, not Wratten. After that though, Wratten and company seem to be painting by numbers more than anything else. Truth be told, most times on The Seven Autumn Flowers, Wratten seems to be displaying a harsh sense of boredom rather than the overwrought melancholy that he's known for. Imagine going back and listening to Yo La Tengo's Summer Sun or R.E.M.'s Around The Sun (both which are anything but sunny) for the first time and you'll basically get the idea what's on display here. I'm betting that The Seven Autumn Flowers will induce impatience or slumber for most. It was the former for me. It's not until the last four tracks on the album that The Seven Autumn Flowers finally picks up with the likes of the excellent handclap led "Hurry Home Through The Crowds," and the beautiful ambience of the instrumental "One Wish Granted." Oh, did I forget to mention that "Helen Reddy"and the last four tracks were already released on the Trembling Blue Stars Southern Skies Appear Brighter EP that was released last year? Yeah, isn't that a bunch of bullshit? Thanks Bar None! Thank you for making the die-hard fans EP obsolete, and showing that those tracks are the best part of this album anyway. Do yourself a favor, and forget that this album even exists. Instead, go plunk down six bucks for the EP. In the long run it's the economical route to go - you'll be glad you did.