Ilya Monosov has earned a place in my heart next to such visionary soungwriters as Leonard Cohan and Bill Fay- prestigious company for sure, and what is amazing is that Monosov makes it seem almost effortless. The apparent ease in which Monosov produces soft lullabies rich with meaning and beauty is an ephemeral spirit that most songwriters only occasionally attain. Though his voice is barely above a whisper for most of the album, somehow every word finds its way in my consciousness. Initially, I didn't catch the depth of Monosov's songwriting. The second track, "Tricycle", is probably the best example of this:

"If I kew it was you moaning in the winds gentle song
I would have run to you, I would have whistled along
I did not know the spring breeze was filled with the musk of your sweat
It was long ago I did not know you yet"

Monosov's love seems to be an unnameable presence that contains the complexity and contradiction of nature as well as the sheer beauty of it all. There are no easy answers here and Monosov seems to be dealing with multiple meanings most of the time. It's an unfolding sort of poetry that reveals itself and changes with time. Musically, he and his band are working with different folk influences, sounding very gypsy like at times and more ethereal and introverted at others. Harp, guitar, mandolin, and cello create the textures that swirl around Monosov's whispered words. "Seven lucky plays..." displays a songwriter with an ease and a confidence to speak with his true voice. Natural and transcendent, mystical and ordinary- this is a multifaceted record that evolves with repeated listens. 10/10 -- Charles Franklin (12 February, 2008)