This storytelling, part Victorian cautionary tale, part brothers Grimm, translates into the music. The three tracks Machinery’s Haze, The Forest and Perception of an Unknown all flow into each other and should be regarded as subsections of An Invitation. The journey begins in the city, with Pete’s head in his cloud of noise. It could be anywhere but the announcement at the very beginning of Machinery’s Haze indicates that it’s London, with a tube train approaching Holloway Road. This reminds me of Alight, the excellent debut album by Italy’s Cellar Noise which spins stories around tube stations on London’s District and Circle lines. It too commences with the arrival of an Underground train but I also think there’s a degree of commonality with some of the melodic ideas. An Invitation then plunges into a haunting guitar-led melody which dissolves into wailing emergency service sirens, the last time there’s an indication of the mechanical world on the EP, before the melody reasserts itself. The next change is disturbing Mellotron sounds played backwards and when classic Hammond-like keyboard is introduced, you get the feel of progressive rock nicely balanced between complexity, atmosphere and feeling. The spoken word passage and the subsequent orchestral movement evoke a sinister fairy tale, dragging the listener ever deeper into this strange world, as angular guitar lines pick out an acid-folk melody and more Mellotron, which could have been played by Änglagård, indicates we’re now well and truly in amongst the trees. The segue into The Forest is heralded by sounds of the forest and bird calls which presages a short vocal harmony between Filipe and Célia Ramos. There’s a heightened urgency to the following instrumental section and the sonic palette is broadened with guest vibraphone from Vasco Vilhena. Filipe performs a solo vocal at the end of the track, which is not particularly strong but does carry the emotion of wonderment. This is the weakest moment of the entire EP but its brevity means that the quality of the rest of the material is not compromised.

Woodland sounds link The Forest with the third, shortest track Perceptions of an Unknown which is where Pete discovers the house in the forest. It’s less ambient atmosphere and more full-on prog and begins with an organ figure and flute-like keyboard and then shifts tempo with a rolling organ pattern and guitar which in turn gives way to contrapuntal synthesizer, organ and guitar and finally resolves with synth overlain with a cinematic guitar solo by producer Manuel Cordoso, formerly of premier Portuguese 70’s symphonic prog band Tantra. Cordoso has praised Filipe for his ideas, writing and energy and I think that praise is well deserved.