Bombadils last album was almost its swan song. The quartet of singers, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists - Stuart Robinson, Daniel Michalak, Bryan Rahija and James Phillips ­ recorded All That the Rain Promises in ten days, while living in a barn in Oregon. The barn was so cold, they had to warm their hands by a wood-burning stove between takes. The album¹s sparkling blend of folk, rock and gentle psychedlia earned rave reviews, but Michalak¹s continuing hand problems made the future look grim. He¹d developed a case of neural tension that made playing and driving painful. They toured sporadically and weren t sure about the future of the band.

Happily, a regimen of relaxation and stretching exercises has Michalak¹s pain under control, and the band is rebuilding its momentum. They spent most of 2012 touring and recording the songs that became Metrics of Affection. The album is their most melodic and adventurous outing yet, a cornucopia of styles marked by mischievously surrealistic lyrics and their familiar lush harmonies. Their inventive arrangements add funk, country, boogie woogie, rap, early rock and hints classic pop songwriting, circa 1940, to their already eclectic sound.