I love all the opinionated reviews of U23...Church fans are thoughtful at least.

I remember listening to this at first and going WTF? It seemed to darg and never lift itself up to their more pop sensibilities that would be found alongside their more trippy soundscapes.

Then I listened and I am officially on board with the five-star review from RS Australia.

What helped me become hooked was listening to U23 in it's entirety over and over. The flow is amazing.

Cobalt Blue, as so many have had a mediocre response to, was the song I fell in love with first. The chorus is some of SK's best singing (he's in rare form all over this masterpiece I think). It's a perfect brooding opener and to me belongs alongside Block, Sealine, Numbers, and Anethesia as some of their best openers.

Deadman's Hand has grown on me...love the vocal effects, was one of the last to grow on me though, but it definitely has "IT."

Pangaea is absolutely gorgeous. In the same way that tracks like Tranquility, Seen it Coming, and Glow Worm creep up on you with an otherworldly beauty.

Happenstance is a slow burner with Sk and MWP...fantastic stuff!

Space Saviour is SK raw and pained...great rock tune, and love the false melody that opens the track...great switch pulled on the listener.

On Angel Street is the only track that doesn't do much for me until the guitars come in near the end. Otherwise it's just more sweet poetry from SK.

Sunken Sun is brilliant. From this point on, Anchorage, Lunar, and Operetta might as well be one long piece...they are that good. The space out harmonies on Lunar alone give me chills every time I hear it! Operetta is just gorgeous indeed.

I can understand people being puzzled by U23, but this one crept up on me and held on...I was desperately searching for a melody at first too but then The Church are always at their best when challenging us as listeners and this album, for me anyway, now ranks up there with P=A for it's beauty!