Pantha Du Prince ‎– This Bliss

From the outset, it is apparent that Pantha Du Prince's sophomore effort is a very different beast to "Diamond Daze". "This Bliss" loses most of the edge which both characterised and made for the best moments of the debut, replacing it with a cleaner, brighter, more tender outlook. The overall effect of this is a far more pretentious feel to the work in comparison to "Diamond Daze". But it is this pretentiousness that results in the album's strength; the deep, cinematic epics, "Walden 2" and "Urlichten", easily make for the most compelling moments, still feeling fresh even after 10+ minutes. Rougher tracks like "Moonstruck", "White Out" and "Florac" approach the madness of "Circle Glider", but come up short. However, this probably works better in the context of the album, as it makes the tracks with the more delicate outlook stand out a bit more.

All in all, "This Bliss" is an excellent work, but it is a few rungs short of classic status.