Ex-
Associate Billy Mackenzie was working on the tracks which comprise
Beyond the Sun when he committed suicide, leaving this planned comeback bid unfinished;
the Cocteau Twins' Simon Raymonde, among others, completed the demos for release, and the results are frequently impressive, if bittersweet.
Mackenzie is in fine voice on each of these tracks, which veer between his trademark synth-pop sound and a more contemporary Britpop flavor; while clearly in its rough stages at the time of Mackenzie's death,
Beyond the Sun is a potent reminder of his eccentric gifts -- he will be missed. ~ Jason Ankeny