Amish Rake Fight consists of one person, Mike Fisher, former member of the band Machines of Loving Grace (a personal favorite of mine back in the day).

Though Machines of Loving Grace was good, ARF does not follow the previous band's industrial rock style. The album has little in the way of singing, but instead explores melody and rhythm without the need for such things.

The first track, Sir Wellington Du Deuf, is a prime example of this quality release. The track sort of sweeps you up and carries you along for four plus minutes, setting you down in Sonda, which takes a turn towards middle east influenced sound.

Remembrance lowers into an even mellower tempo; makes you feel like floating. I, Croupier is next, washing over you with more middle eastern sounds mixed with strings and female vocal tones, using the human voice as yet another instrument in the mix. Half way through, the track picks up the beat to enliven the listener.

Apothecary reminds me of something you would hear sitting in a cool, hip bar, drinking a martini and having intelligent conversation with a group of friends. Yes Josephine mixes down tempo with crunchy guitar and drums, along with bells and chimes to create an interesting soundscape.

Four remixes follow the six original tracks. There is a remix of I, Croupier by Statik from the band Collide, who adds a harder, more startling edge to the song. Chris Randall of Sister Machine Gun adds a good dose of energy to Sir Wellington Du Beuf.

Overall, this is a solid release, with importance put on melody and structure and exploring different soundscapes. While this may not get people on the dancefloors in a frenzy, that is clearly not its purpose. Pick up this release for a mellow, though thoroughly enjoyable time.