Beautiful Companions: Dakota Suite

'The End of Trying' is not a 'typical' Dakota Suite Release. Unlike most Dakota Suite albums (except 1999's Navigators Yard) it is fully instrumental, with Chris Hooson, David Buxton and Colin Dunkley playing piano and David Darling playing cello. The latter fact may indicate the mood of the music on this album: it is extremely delicate, heartbreaking melancholic music. A 'classic' release that immediately struck me when I first heard it in the beginning of this year. The track titles indicate the overall mood of this music: How Could You Let Me Go, Things We Lost Along The Way, All The Love I Had Was Not Enough, A Quietly Gathering Tragedy, and not forgetting "Een Langzaam Lekkende Wond' (A Slow Leaking Wound) which reminds us of the fact that Chris Hooson lived in Holland for quite a few years. This beautiful sad music is clearly not meant to brighten up your day. But it might soothe your sadness with rays of hope shining through empathic, understanding themes and fabulous cello sounds.  'The End of Trying' is one of the most beautiful albums I have heard this year, and it even gains strength with the companion CD that was released shortly after the release of the original: "The Night Keeps Coming In". --- originally published on Ambientblog --- Playlist: 1. Arve Henriksen -  The End of Trying (2)2. Dakota Suite -  The End of Trying part I (1)3. Dakota Suite -  How Could You Let Me Go (1)4. Jacaszek -  How Could You Let Me Go (2)5. Loscil -  Things We Lost Along the Way (2)6. Dakota Suite -  Things We Lost Along the Way (1)7. Elegi -  All The Love I Had Was Not Enough(2)8. Dakota Suite -  All The Love I Had Was Not Enough(1)9. Dakota Suite -  The End of Trying Part III (1)10. Hannu -  The End of Trying Part III (2)11. Peter Broderick -  This Failing Sea (2)12. Dakota Suite -  This Failing Sea (1)13. Dakota Suite -  A Quietly Gathering Tragedy (1)14. Hauschka -  A Quietly Gathering Tragedy (2)15. Dakota Suite -  Very Early One Morning on Old Road (1)16. Deaf Center -  Very Early One Morning on Old Road (2)17. Machinefabriek -  One day without harming You (2)18. Dakota Suite -  One day without harming You (1) (1) - Dakota Suite - The End of Trying2009; Karaoke Kalk CD 49 (2) - Various Artists - The Night Keeps Coming In2009; Navigators Yard NY001