VLMV - Stranded, Not Lost (Sealed) (CD)

What's in a name? In the case of VLMV, many oblique things. Ostensibly a self-proclaimed 'ambient-ish post-something' duo from the southern extremities of London consisting of Pete Lambrou and Ciaran Morahan, VLMV were recently known as ALMA until several cases of mistaken identity with a green-haired Finnish pop princess necessitated a gentlemanly branding rethink. Now they have - not quite literally - flipped their name upside down and come up with VLMV, which is still pronounced ALMA, the rebranded twosome are poised to release their sophomore album, 'Stranded, Not Lost'. Recorded and produced by Lambrou at his own Nice Weather For Airstrikes studio in West Sussex and mixed by Todd Howe. Happily it recaptures the fragile, fragrant essence of their esteemed debut 'ALMA' album in 2015 which hoovered up comparisons to fellow sonic explorers Sigur Ros, Patrick Watson and Explosions In The Sky. Spoiler alert: it's a little bit sad. A similarly gorgeous and moving journey replete with the kind of brooding, ambient soundscapes, soaring vocals and crashing intensity, featuring the weeping strings of "If Only I", the widescreen honesty of the title track and the momentous foreboding of "Lunokhod". The ice cream van effects-laden "Little Houses" song also sees esoteric composer Tom Hodge rejoining the VLMV troops after his guest spot on the gently extraordinary "Reworkings And Remixes" opus of 2016.