The Blue Nile: High

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * * )

I remember interviewing the Blue Nile's Paul Buchanan at the time of their previous album, Peace at Last. Well, it's more of a vague recollection. It was 1996, after all.

The first question back then was, "What took you so long?" The Glasgow trio had released its predecessor Hats in 1989 and debut A Walk Across the Rooftops in 1984. This time it's been eight years between sets. You pity whoever answers the phone at their fan club.

And the end of the Blue Nile's seasonal drought hasn't exactly resulted in a damburst of material here. High comes with just nine songs stretching to a little over 40 minutes.

Not much has changed. They still make a kind of nocturnal white soul music where Brian Eno is godfather. Sonically it sounds like a retreat to their foundation decade after the expansiveness of Peace At Last. Here they still exist in a minimalist 80s world of DX7s and Linn drums.

And it's still mostly just Buchanan's voice, a keyboard texture or three and some unfussy percussion. At moments like when he keens "sail away" on Broken Loves there's a definite sense of deja vu. But at the same time it's clear the Blue Nile haven't lost their sense of poise, purpose or gentle persuasiveness. That's whether they're seemingly tapping into the thoughts of Glasgow commuters on the opening song Days of Our Lives, heading out west on the country-tinged Toledo, or when Buchanan sounds for all the world like an existential Neil Diamond on the title track.

It might lack for a few songs to give it some foreground detail against its wide canvas. But it still has its own serene but emotive kick on the likes of the closing track, Stay Close. On tracks like that patient fans will be happy to get reacquainted with a group that - productivity issues aside - remain an idea unruined.

Label: Sanctuary