'Harks back to great writers such as James Taylor, Jimmy Webb, Carole King and Burt Bacharach.' Paul Grabowsky'Like a Hemingway novel . . . truth, beauty and violence in equal measure: Get in your car, put it on and don't stop until you get there.' Kate Ceberano'(John Baker's) lyrics have that hazy, oneiric quality you feel when awaking in the morning convinced you've already been up . . . and the last dream was real.' John Shand Sydney Morning HeraldArt-folk, jazz-pop, seductive-country, gypsy-romantica . . . all terms which have been used to describe uniquely poetic Adelaide band The Baker Suite. Yet all fail to capture what audiences across Australia and Europe already know: this is a remarkable and refreshingly Australian musical experience. Accordionist Gayle Buckby perfectly complements John Baker's whispering, grainy vocal, in a rich offering of stories and songs that explore life, love and a special relationship with nature.Expectations were high after The Baker Suite's 2009 release A Quartet for Car Horns and Brakes. Produced by Australian jazz great Paul Grabowsky, the collection of narrative ballads and jazz-influenced pop from a master songwriter saw John Baker compared with Paul Simon, Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen. The album met with critical acclaim, and The Baker Suite played to sold-out venues across Australia and Europe.Now comes this latest offering: Your Dreaming Self, influenced heavily by Baker's central desert experiences, and from which is drawn the single Evidence of Love. The album will be released in Australia on Friday October 11, after a whirlwind European tour to launch the album in Germany, and the Czech Republic. Recording this latest collection has been a spiritual journey for the band, drawing on old friendships as well as fostering new and exciting alliances.Paul Grabowsky suggested we work with Shane O'Mara for the new album,’says Buckby. ‘We thought it would be great to make something quite different from the last album. Shane is an ARIA award-winning producer; he has worked with Tim Rogers and Paul Kelly, among others. We were very excited. It soon became apparent his genius lay in skilfully coaxing the acoustic variety out of Johns songs.’ Baker continues:‘Shane came over to Adelaide and we recorded the songs to a guide track. Then we flew to Shane's studio in Melbourne to record our parts; Shane played guitars on a few tracks and there are cameo spots from Paul Grabowsky, KateCeberano and Ross Hannaford, as well as Adelaide's Zephyr Quartet and The Yearlings. Stylistically, this is very different to the last album.’Your Dreaming Self presents 11 new songs from a simple vocal with string quartet, to boisterous bluegrass, and earthy country-pop, showcasing the versatility and durability of Baker's songwriting.The Baker Suite: John Baker (guitars, vocals) and Gayle Buckby (accordion, vocals ) with John Aue (double bass) and Enrico Mick Morena (drums). Producer: Shane O'Mara • Engineers: Shane O’Mara, Chris Parkinson • Recorded: My Sweet Mule Studio (Adelaide) and Yikesville (Melbourne)