The next PETER LACEY album is Anderida, named after the Roman name for the forest on the east coast of England, which over the centuries has been built on, and Peter's home town is a part of this area. This album continues in the tradition of the last one; after all, there's no reason to change dramatically when what you're doing works well. There are songs here that owe a lot to THE BEACH BOYS, but there are also songs that continue to show that PETER LACEY is an artist of great individuality and creativity. 'Chime In' has an unsettling, almost medieval feel at times. 'The Silver Lady' alternates between a 1930s/40s sound and a more modern kind of sophisticated pop. The title track is atmospheric with dark and experimental undercurrents.

Reviewed in Aquamarine by Kim Harten, UK

For some reason I keep calling this album Andromeda! I think this is Peter's second release on the Pink Hedgehog label. One thing's for sure, it has a lot of living up to do, as the first was a cracker. Well, here we go... THE BEACH BOYS influence is apparent at the get go, on 'Love', but it's not done in a way that's cheesy, if you know what I mean? One thing that really does hit you is the sheer professionalism of both Lacey's songwriting and the production.

The opening two tracks are really laid back, and then we go into almost rock and roll/blues with 'Motorvation'. Hell, the album's full of catchy, clever songs, and with the help of a few pretty damn good musicians, he's got an equal to Thru A Glass Brightly (that's his previous album, by the way). It makes a change to get some uplifting and "happy" stuff once in a while - don't let this detract, though, from some of those effective lyrics.

Reviewed in Modern Dance by Dave W Hughes, UK

In my review of Thru A Glass Brightly, his second release, I wrote that PETER LACEY transports us back to a world where the dawning of a new technological age inspired the recording of seminal works like THE BEACH BOYS Pet Sounds. Well, the opening track ‘Love’, based on a 16th century prayer where Peter is accompanied by Jon Fielder on harpsichord, bass and strings, continues the homage to BRIAN WILSON and co. ‘Chime In’ is the perfect companion akin to plainsong, a sort of Gregorian chant perhaps. In complete contrast, ‘Motorvation’ is the only "rocker" on the CD with its irresistibly infectious chorus and a curious, slightly out of tune bass and guitar. There is so much more than THE BEACH BOYS on this album.

‘September’ is a glorious, achingly poignant song of lost love, a kind of leitmotif returned to on the bluesy marvel ‘The Great Hurt’. There are two instrumentals, ‘Zephyr’ which would not be out of place in that BEACH BOYS session, and a BBC radio take ‘Freewheelin’, with its BOOKER T & THE MG's feel, with Fielder on Hammond organ this time. ‘The Silver Lady’ is another "live" track that transports us back to a time when ladies wore long beads and did the Charleston. Peter is accompanied by the aptly named Palm Court Trio of double bass, drums and clarinet.

Peter is a skilful storyteller, as this track demonstrates, and his lyrics are both poetic and impressionistic. A rich melodic lush carpet of sound is produced, that leaves you scratching your head that one guy could have produced most of this by himself. I have heard Peter described as a "master painter" and "one of the best kept secrets of British pop". Touché! Anderida is destined to be one of 2003’s most memorable musical accomplishments.

Reviewed in Zeitgeist by Phil Jackson, UK

PETER LACEY’s tendency to wear his influences proudly on his sleeve loses him no marks whatsoever, but only because those influences are beyond reproach. In common with his two previous releases - 2000’s Beam! and last year’s Thru A Glass Brightly - echoes of THE BEACH BOYS’ Wild Honey and STEVIE WONDER’s Talking Book are prominent, while Lacey’s flat estuary tones will have you wondering whether this is really XTC on a busman’s holiday.

It’s a suspicion deepened by the subject matter: Anderida is the Roman name for the forest that used to stretch across the South Downs, and it is this pastoral theme that dominates. For all that his work reminds you of others, Lacey’s is a singular sound; it’s impossible not to register an emotional reaction to, say, ‘September’, while the multi-tracking techniques that allow him to harmonise with himself are breathtaking. If there were a degree course in chamber-pop, Lacey’s work would be a set text.

Reviewed in LOGO Magazine by Gillian Nash, UK

And so the postman arrives, and with a reassuring thud, the package drops on the doormat. Peter has been in touch and so I know what it contains. Modest as always, Peter hopes that I will like it. I find a quiet place and give the disc a few spins. As with all Peter's recordings the apparently simple yet complex songs repay several listenings. Many of the songs are piano oriented, but on this album Peter has used a few guest musicians (remember Jon Fielder?), tries on a few more styles for size and uses a couple of live BBC radio takes. These steps into a greater variety help to make Anderida an even more rewarding experience than his earlier albums, and I would urge Peter to continue to stretch out as he has here.

Many of the songs continues his introspective themes of loss and searching/seeking that we have met from him before, but far from taking the listener on a downward spiral of melancholy, the songs are ultimately uplifting (sound familiar?). A few, too, conjure up visions of "old Albion" for me, and Peter's use of evocative/impressionistic lyrical forms take me to a far away place. As ever his voice/voices are the centrepiece and those of you who have experienced these before will not be disappointed.

The album opens with 'Love', based on the old prayer, and with it's bouncy bass line and soaring harmonies, it sits somewhere between Smile and Love You. A magnificent opener. The next track 'Chime In' continues the prayer theme. Starting in plainsong, sumptuos waves of "aahs" wash over my ears, as the song takes me back in time in my mind, to a simpler and more spiritual time. On 'Motorvation' we get the nearest Peters gets to r'n'r. An up tempo number, this features a distorted driving guitar. After the bouncy 'Carnival' comes the gorgeous 'September'. Essentially a piano and solo voice song, we get an aching melody and a song of loss.

An easy listening instrumental vibe 'Zephyr' is next up, followed by 'Rae', another complex and melancholic song. Peter gets bluesy on the piano oriented 'The Great Hurt', the swirling backings complementing his slightly raspy vocal. I love it. The workmanlike 'Camera' is followed by one of the live takes, a funky up tempo 'Freewheelin', with strident organ and sax. Another live take follows, the 30's tinged, Palm Court, 'Silver Lady'. You can hear that all concerned really enjoyed recording this one. The title track is next, an atmospheric track assisted by Peter's impressionistic lyrics. The album plays out with the delightful 'Sundial Smile' and the instrumental 'Light And Shadow By Turn, But Love Always' reminding me of THE HIGH LLAMAS.

Not an "easy" listen as several of Peter's complex songs require a few listens, but very easy on the ears. I find myself with the usual smile on my face that his music brings to me, as I go back to the beginning to start again, not wanting the mood to break. Thanks again to Peter, as he creates a further impressive development of his unique brand of vocal/harmony soundscapes. Do yourselves a favour, go buy the album and submerge yourselves in it a few times. You owe it to yourself.

Reviewed for Beach Boys Britain by Chris Branch, UK

By now, Brit balladeer PETER LACEY's fixation with THE BEACH BOYS - specifically the period that linked Pet Sounds with Surfs Up - has become all too obvious. Lacey's last two albums show him expertly emulating all things Wilson - the harmonies, the harpsichords, the spectral songs, the reverent arrangements all echo Wilson at his best. Anderida, the multi-skilled Lacey's third outing, opens with the aptly titled 'Love', and the shimmering 'Zephyr' keeps his BEACH BOYS bond intact, but the bulk of the album comes across as more ethereal than the poppier pronouncements Wilson and the Boys were known for.

Songs such as 'Chime In', 'September', 'Rae', 'The Great Hurt', 'Sundial Smile' and the title track are solemn, sweeping ballads based around Lacey's lofty keyboards and lilting vocals. However, there are further variations, specifically 'Freewheelin', an organ-drenched instrumental that recalls BOOKER T AND THE MG'S and THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP, the jazzy 1940s feel of 'The Silver Lady' and the percolating pulse of 'Carnival'. Come to think of it, the titles express them best. Although he gets occasional studio support, Lacey is basically a one-man cottage industry whose production prowess on Anderida ought to earn him wider recognition very soon.

Reviewed for Goldmine by Lee Zimmerman, USA

Deep, moody singer-songwriter psych with a cosmic vibe not unlike Surfs Up era BEACH BOYS. When the right buttons are pushed the practically one-man-band PETER LACEY can work some small wonders with his multi-layered harmonies and crafted melodies, but the modern synths and at times '80s AOR production brings PETER GABRIEL to mind rather than the sun kissed sound of late '60s harmony pop.

Reviewed in Shindig! by Jon 'Mojo' Mills, UK

Sonically speaking, PETER LACEY's third full-length effort does not make any dramatic advancements on his two previous albums. But then, so what? Anderida is every bit as lush, lofty, and melodically rich as Beam! and Thru A Glass Brightly. And like those, sterling, suite-like marvels, it actively constructs its own shimmering, self-contained world from scratch then proceeds to spin it around you. The angels, anyway, are in the details, and they peak out from behind every corner of Anderida. With a few exceptions, Lacey again acts as essentially his own studio and band. The technical limitations of such an approach, however, no longer feel like artistic impediments.

The scope of his imagination is matched only by his ability to paint his marvelous songs and their typically flowing tunefulness with precisely the right brushstrokes. The music is, as a result, part transcendental BEACH BOYS (circa Surfs Up and Sunflower), part alternative, dreamtime Sussex, and part wooded medieval madrigal (the gorgeous 'Chime In', for instance). Coated in haunting echo, it seems in its more delicate and otherworldly moments and there are many of those as if it is being piped in from a parallel dimension, almost as if the songs are made out of a fine china, Faberge treasures picked directly out of a Hans Christian Andersen tale or a Spenserian sonnet.

When it draws closer to its rock roots ('Motorvation', 'Carnival'), there is still the sense that you are listening to something that exists miles off on the horizon, with a pale sunniness that beautifully recalls toasted '70s pop. And Lacey stretches his stylistic range with songs like 'The Great Hurt', its chord changes only a hair's breath from the blues, 'Freewheelin', a soulful prog-like instrumental that lives up to its title, and 'The Silver Lady', a jazzy, glitter-hued gazebo tune that might just as easily have come from a 1930s Broadway show. Taken together they amount to yet another splendid reverie from one of the best-kept secrets of British pop.

Reviewed in All Music Guide by Stanton Swihart, USA

PETER LACEY, the "master painter" of esoteric, subliminal pop, is back with another sound "painting" ready for viewing. His third musical work of art, Anderida touches on such subjects as the passing of time, spirituality, sentimental days of past, failed relationships and of course the power of love. And like a classic painting, the power of PETER LACEY's music artwork is that each listener will come away with his own interpretation. While you might notice production styles that sound like a cross between Pet Sounds era BEACH BOYS to Plastic Ono Band JOHN LENNON, Peter's vocal style is all his own.

In travels through Peter's aural landscape, you will be exposed to sublime pop, Gregorian-esque chants, white R&B, melancholy ballads, gospel-infused tunes and of course those classic PETER LACEY instrumentals (one of which takes you to the days of BOOKER T & THE MG's). The surprise is that with each journey you take listening to this CD, you will come away with something different. As with Lacey's previous CD's, there is the subtle theme of nature in his work. Nature and PETER LACEY's music are intrinsically intertwined. I'm fortunate enough to have taken his CD's deep into the mountains to experience the therapeutic effect his music has in those surroundings. It is an experience that I highly recommend.

I look forward to the next painting, bearing that distinct PETER LACEY signature. Until then, we are left to enjoy his unique and modest gallery of three masterpieces.

Reviewed in Ear Candy by Ronnie Dannelley, USA

It is oddly appropriate that an advance copy of PETER LACEY's third offering, Anderida, arrived in my mailbox on the very same day that the my country stubbornly set forth with Shock & Awe into a foreign country that most people probably couldn't recognize on a map. Immensely saddened and distracted, I placed Anderida into the player and hoped for something, a reprieve, a distraction perhaps. Fortunately, from the first chords and words, I received something of a benediction. Allusions run rampant when discussing Lacey's output, but I will try to limit mine. Here's one of three:

In terms of album openers, this parallel hits me right between the ears. Just as THE BEACH BOYS' 'Meant For You' must have been meant to serve as a spiritual salve to Vietnam-era times, so does Lacey's 'Love' offer up its notes to the troubled in this time of war. The first word that came to mind upon hearing Lacey's latest was "earthier", and I mean this in every sense of the word. PETER LACEY's voice is front-and-center in the mix as never before in his previous two albums, the cd art displays Lacey's image clearer than before in woodsy motif, and in Lacey's own words, Anderida was "the name given to the forest that once covered the landscape here, coined by the Romans."

What does this mean for the listener? For the longtime fan, it means we get the usual embarrassment of riches we've selfishly come to expect. 'Carnival' delivers the same sort of radio-friendly warmth (its length would perhaps preclude it from being a single, but who cares) that seduced us from the opening chords of his very first album. It is McCARTNEY-esque (allusion #2) in its whimsical, smile-being-an-umbrella ethos; and what's wrong with that? I'd like to know! For the uninitiated, you are witnessing the expansive range of talent of an actual craftsman.

If the jaunty ragtime shuffle of 'The Silver Lady' catches you unawares, don't be frightened. The winsome clarinets and brushes-on-snare will get you There quicker than any Rock God With Overamped Guitar could ever hope to. At just over 36 minutes, PETER LACEY is like a talented magician who has packed a lot into a tight frame and he's not wasted one precious second. Harmonies are locked into place throughout ('Anderida' with its cosmic backdrop) as usual. PETER LACEY is the heir apparent to PADDY McALOON and ANDY PARTRIDGE. (The third and last allusion.) The sooner you pick up Anderida, the sooner you can gloat to your friends that you have made one of the most delightful and important artistic discoveries of this new century.

Reviewed for Crawdaddy by John Lane, USA

Time flies, it's true. It only seems like a couple of months ago when Peter's last album Thru A Glass Brightly emerged out of the shadows. Now here we are, a couple of years later with Peter's 3rd magnum opus Anderida. And where to start? How about me cutting straight to the chase and proclaiming this to be Peter's finest moment so far! From the opening cut 'Love', to the last 'Light And Shadow By Turn, But Love Always', every track glistens.

I might as well start at the beginning. From the opening keyboard stabs and minimalist Lacey hi-hat of 'Love', this track sounds assured and Peter's voice is in fine form. Considering how his music's recorded, the results far outweigh their origins, and I'm not going to say anything, except that this album (and Peter's other 2) were not recorded in some soul-less digital multitrack studio. Nay, it's origins are warmer and far more at home than that. Personally, I think what makes great PETER LACEY music, is not what he adds into the mix, but what he leaves out.

'Chime In' echoes forth as multi-layered voices spiral up to the Heavens'. Is this "Pop" music? Gregorian monks could well have recorded it in a time and place long forgotten. Absolutely wonderful vocal work! The more I listen to this track, the more I love it. A shift (or should I say "swing") to the side as 'Motorvation' follows. Peter plays a choppy guitar reminiscent of Keef Stone's in the mid-60's. The bass figure is strongly "Motown" in its' feel (not a bad thing). The track has a "naughty" feel to it. Definitely a rating of 10/10 in the "mmmm!" scale!

A slice of uplifting pop? Coming right up as 'Carnival' kicks off. A slab of Summertime! A wonderful twist at about 1:07 hits you squarely between the ears and is a perfect middle eight. I wish more artists could write something as catchy as 'Carnival'. The good thing about this song is that it doesn't sound forced. Peter, I imagine; must clearly have loved recording this. It's only 1:44 long, but it's rapidly becoming one of my favourite tracks of the year so far. The fade at the end is a nice touch, heck!, you've just got to hear it for yourself.

'September' is Peter at his wistful best. Like all of his best efforts, 'September' doesn't go overboard in the instrumentation stakes. It's a piano-driven song that employs the occasional string instrument near the end. Peter's voice is very prominent in the mix and doesn't rely on backing vocals to bolster it at all. Very minimalist, uncluttered by instrumentation, perfect! It tells of a love lost, or is it just a song about a passing season? That's the nice thing about Peter's music, it leaves the listener to decipher the lyrics and the mood.

I use the 2 words "BRIAN WILSON" very sparingly these days when reviewing new PETER LACEY music, as he's surpassed those early comparisons; but what I will say is that 'Zephyr' has that timeless "Wilson-esque" feel about it. The horn figure in the back of the mix is somehow very familiar, but I just can't put my finger on it. That's another "Lacey" trait that I've learned to live with.

'Rae' is another firm favourite of mine. What muse does Peter employ to get him to come up with lines like "for now the hero and the victim, sometimes the thorn, sometimes the rose. High on a wire astounding strangers, who gamble for your clothes". Pure magic! The song itself is a slow tempo tune. Nice echo on the snare drum, Pete. Play this tune after you've spent an evening looking at the stars. I'm sure Peter knows what I mean.

'The Great Hurt' will mean something to everyone that's gone through some kind of loss (and who hasn't, eh; wistful reader?). Peter's captured that feel perfectly. Understated piano, the occasional mournful guitar figure and a wash of backing vocals make this tune a melancholic experience I don't mind revisiting. 'The Camera' could make an excellent showing in some unmade-as-yet film. It has that feel about it. A wonderful shift in style and tempo, slight and short, but it lifts the song and shines out about halfway through. It's a solid song and Peter's skilfully made use of some subtle effects on some of the instrumentation. How did you say this album was recorded, Peter? You mean it WASN'T done in 128 multitrack? Unbelievable!

A nice instrumental, slice of quirky funk, pop-a-roll (borrowing an XTC parlance there) comes next. 'Freewheelin' is great! A 60's drive through Motown with BOOKER T & THE MG's . I love those horns, Peter! Words would have spoilt it. An audience' applause greets the stage performer as he plays on in 'The Silver Lady'. The first part of the song evokes a jazzy nightclub feel and then ventures into classic McCARTNEY-ism and some deep held memory of how the performer met his perfect woman. Brushed snare and tinkled ivories make the impression a perfect one. Back to that jazz club for the last part of the song and more thoughts on 'The Silver Lady'. I'm happy to say that the audience applauds again on the fade.

The album's title song 'Anderida' ushers a feeling of times past and places lost. The opening line says it all to me "Here is a song to reach you, here is a song to teach you, of Anderida". It's beautiful. No more need for words. To my ears, 'Anderida's cousin plays next. 'Sundial Smile'. A short song that leaves you wanting more, but maybe more would have ruined it? The chant of "Umbra sumas, umbra sumas, we are but shadows" is haunting. Multi-layered vocals on that chant make it all the more direct. "We are but shadows".

Anderida's closing track is 'Light And Shadow By Turn, But Love Always'. A short coda to the album that makes me think of summertime again. Too good to be left in the can, that's for certain. So what do I make of the so-called "difficult 3rd album"? Difficult for some other artists to manage, I suppose; but for PETER LACEY, it sounds like a breeze. Nothing sounds forced or overdone. I know I've said it before, but I'm going to say it again, this is PETER LACEY's best album to date! I have a feeling that the well isn't going to dry up for a long, long time to come.

Reviewed by Ken Worthing, UK