Into the Blue stands on its own as a unique and thoughtful reflection of things past, present, and future. There are certainly worse ways to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon than venturing into LaValle's world, which is a rewarding thing to do. It sure is pretty to think so.  Full text...

It’s very multi-purpose, as long as the mood is chill. If you want to raise hell or par-tay with your posse, I wouldn’t recommend this album. But for generally relaxing background music or binaural exploration, The Album Leaf delivers.  Full text...

All you indie kids out there biting hard on rejection, consider throwing Into The Blue Again on the next time you try to make your move. You might just set the perfect mood.   Full text...

Composer/multi-instrumentalist James LaValle has certainly generated his fair sum of impeccable music-- both in collaboration with sympathetic acts like Sigur Rós or the Black Heart Procession and as author of his ongoing project the Album Leaf.  Full text...

For all intents and purposes, Into the Blue Again sounds like In a Safe Place (2004), and whether that's a good or bad thing really depends on the listener.  Full text...

It's hard not to like music this well-ordered and composed, but in the end it sounds as if The Album Leaf has taken a break on innovation and is settling for being derivative -- of itself.  Full text...

It was nice stuff, but largely unfocused.  Full text...

Into the Blue Again is more stylistically cohesive than his previous works, but the songs are ossified and interchangeable; while the one-man band aesthetic of Album Leaf implies meticulous approach to craft, there's an assembly line feel that makes you feel like he cranks out a tune in ten minutes and spends the rest of the week tweaking EQ.  Full text...