Since 2005, there has been one Venetian Snares album that everybody has talked about: the masterpiece Rossz Csillag Allat Szuletett, Aaron Funk"s story of falling in love among the spires of Budapest, scored by an orchestra and the Amen break. If that album was in effect a question, then this one is his answer: the unfolding of this particular Hungarian story. If anything, My Downfall is even more epic and bombastic than its predecessor, but not without those little humorous touches so beloved of Snares. The achingly sad orchestral instrumental "Colorless" sets the tone for the majority of the album: loss and regret. In fact, most of the 14 tracks on My Downfall are instrumental, and only four of these tracks have any rhythm section whatsoever. Of those four, "My Half" stands out with its coruscating Amens and tensional chord progressions. The choir and harp on "I"m Sorry I Failed You" starts the album"s descent toward the dark piano finale of "Mentioning It" via the beautiful "If I Could Say I Love You". Even the cover has a mournful stone sculpture on the front and the previous album"s pigeon being eaten on the inner sleeve. If you thought that Rossz Csillag Allat Szuletett was a one-off, then think again.