Spin (p.98) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "MA FLEUR's atmospheric, moody songs and down-tempo arrangements are devoted more to Radiohead-worthy mopiness..."
CMJ (p.98) - "This is easily Cinematic Orchestra's finest hour, its stirring combination of beautiful vocals and transcendent instrumentation solidifying Swinscoe's long-overdue anointing as one of the most cherished composer-arrangers of the modern age."
Down Beat (p.70) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "MA FLEUR hones in on a guilty-pleasure melancholy....Tunes like 'That Home' or 'Breathe' find their arc in ways reminiscent of Coldplay or Moby."
JazzTimes (p.90) - "MA FLEUR immerses you in its sheer sound and invites you to imagine a narrative, and few will be able to resist."
The Cinematic Orchestra: Lou Rhodes, Fontella Bass (vocals); Stuart McCallum (guitars); Jote Ohsan, Antonia Pagulatus, Izzy Dunn, Stella Page (strings); Tom Chant (bass clarinet); Patrick Watson, Nick Ramm (piano); Steve Brown (Fender Rhodes piano); Phil France (double bass); Luke Flowers (drums); Eska (background vocals).
More than four years after MAN WITH THE MOVIE CAMERA, the Cinematic Orchestra finally issued a new full-length studio album, MA FLEUR. While the U.K.-based ensemble, led by Jason Swinscoe, still incorporates electronic and jazz elements into its compositions, MA FLEUR marks a more minimal and organic approach for the group, which is best revealed on the achingly spare "To Build a Home," featuring a plaintive vocal turn by Patrick Watson, and "Breathe," a wistful, atmospheric track with soul singer Fontella Bass.