An excerpt from the Book of Brent, 17:31:

…And on the third day, the Brothers Sandison, Boards of Canada to believers, created The Campfire Headphase. And behold, they saw it was good. But lo, there were those in the land who were envious of the brothers’ mad skillz. And they did seek to divide the brothers’ fans asunder, even into the wiley priestcrafts of men, preaching “I have the new Boards of Canada, and behold, it is good.” And lo, there were many fans who were fooled by the wiles of these evil men. But lo, there were also many who could see through their deceivings, and did recognize the works of Freescha, Arovane and others.

And still, there were many others who knew not what to believe, and did dwindle in belief even to the point of questioning the existence of Boards of Canada. But behold, when that great day did come, and the brothers’ true work was made manifest to the world, all were made known of its glory, and those who had been in error were at once in complete knowledge of their shame. And there was much listening and rejoicing in the land for months and years to come…

So will be remembered the third coming of Boards of Canada.

While some may see this album as a return to the group’s “pastoral” electronica roots, this is no rehash. Most notably, guitars have been subtly added to the mix. This serves well for the trio of songs that open the album. These songs are as good as anything else the group has done.

More traditionally electronic Boards instrumentation is present throughout the rest of the album, best evidenced by the excellent “84 Pontiac Dream,” “Oscar See Through Red Eye” and“Slow This Bird Down.”

“Dayvan Cowboy” doesn’t quite succeed at being as epic and sweeping as it wants to be. “Hey Saturday Sun” fares a little better with a more complex beat arrangement. But as a whole, this album is immensely satisfying, and easily the group’s most accessible work yet. Steering away from some of the more experimental elements of Geogaddi that might have alienated some people, The Campfire Headphase is both a revelation for established fans and an excellent proselyting tool for new converts to the fold.