Distinctively somber and wholly expressive, Summerland is a short collection of quiet, affecting songs for voice and guitar, gently painted with glistening lines of synthetic digital color. The man behind the work is Chris Jeely, whose work as Accelera Deck is often slanted towards heavy digital manipulation of his sound sources; in Summerland, he allows his songs to stand more clearly in the open and speak with a more natural (acoustic) approach.

That's not to say no electronics are to be found; they weave themselves carefully throughout the work, serving as highlights, humming and burbling in the background, emerging in some areas (overtaking completely in others), always adding a colorful depth to the repetitive and greyed guitar patterns and despondent vocal tone of the songs. The vocal effect here is simple but special; each line is doubled in unison, panned hard left and right; the introspective voice faces itself, singing into a mirror.

Jeely has captured a simple, heartfelt essence that eludes most . . . Summerland is music in a pure form, unencumbered by pretense, an aural experience that connects to the listener's emotional sensibility. And we share momentarily a bond with the musician behind the work; the methods and medium become secondary, it's just enough to know that in Summerland, Jeely makes that connection.

We want to know more. And we listen again because we treasure the way it shares itself with a genuine and human voice.