Composer: J. Spaceman.

Recording information: The Cedars, Nottingham, England.

Arranger: J. Spaceman.

The sixth studio album from Spiritualized continues to refine the outfit's structurally simple yet highly textured space rock. On SONGS IN A & E listeners can still hear the influence of the minimal, noisy art-rock of the Velvet Underground and the guitar-rich sonic-scapes of My Bloody Valentine, but there's also a directness here that might surprise the listener.

In songs like "Soul on Fire" and "Sweet Talk," lead singer-songwriter Jason Pierce achieves an honest simplicity that is powerful and poignant, qualities underscored by the album's arrangements, which feature gospel singers, a string section, Fender Rhodes, and acoustic guitar. To be sure, there's a fair bit of the heady ambient wash associated with this band, but the sound isn't generated by layers of feedback or effects but by Pierce's soaring melodies and the unique instrumentation.

Spin (p.106) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "SONGS IN A&E finds an eerie strength in quietude and mortality....'Don't Hold Me Too Close' finds peaks in emotional valleys, ending with an exhausted yet striking processional."

Entertainment Weekly (p.70) - "[W]ith the beautiful rock lament 'Borrowed Your Gun' and the bluesily Dylan-ish "Yeah, Yeah'..." -- Grade: B+

Uncut (p.87) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "It's raw, affecting stuff....SONGS IN A&E swells with tender, cautious optimism. Pierce's voice is higher in the mix than usual, sounding worn but defiant."

The Wire (p.61) - "Spiritualized's most vital and compelling set for a decade....Pierce has adopted a bluesier, pared down sound with subtly deployed brass, woodwind and strings."

Q (Magazine) (p.140) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "The first half is filled with wonder. From the mournful hush of 'Sweet Talk' and on to the dizzying head trip of 'You Lie You Cheat,' Pierce has a magic touch."

Blender (Magazine) (p.76) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "A&E is generally more subdued, but, like Pierce's earlier work, it's best at its most theatrical. The album is nowhere more chilling than on 'Death Take Your Fiddle.'"

Paste (magazine) (p.67) - "[Pierce] busts the slow jams that have historically formed the band's signature sound; pseudo-gospel that rarely drifts from the keys of A and E..."

Clash (magazine) (p.125) - "[H]ere Spiritualized achieve another career peak and transcend their already weighty legacy."