Palomar demonstrate a distinct clarity on All things, forests, expressing the tangled feelings of loss, doubt, joy, wistfulness and the struggle to keep going. They do so with what sounds like, after many years of toil, the all-too-rare self-revelation that "We are a band. Not a collective, not some pseudonym for a cagey and eccentric auteur, not a high-concept performance troupe. We are a BAND." The band is clearly at the height of their powers in terms of musicianship, songwriting and lyricism and they have crafted a rock album of enduring quality. Here's to hoping it's the first of many.