This is the paradoxical sound of a band that has reached a level of musical maturity at the same time as arriving at a point of crisis. This is the sound of a band coming close to achieving their collective goal, only to come apart at the seams at the critical moment. This is the sound of a band that has stumbled and lost its way and is searching for the light. The lyrics speak of broken promises, confusion and bitterness, anger and loss, exhaustion and frustration, and at times the music is introspective and moody, unusually restrained. But somewhere in all of this there is a glimpse of hope. The restless experimentation with forms is intact, the influx of African, Asian and drum 'n' bass rhythms brings a new lightness of touch, the band is trying out a wider range of styles and sounds than before, and there is the feeling that somehow, despite everything, they are moving forward - many of the arrangements are stripped bare, down to basics, as if the band were looking for an essential something in each of the songs - the flame at the heart of the music from which they could draw the strength to continue against the odds and take the second chance that they were being offered. From there, it was only a small step to the musical rebirth that was to follow on from these sessions in the form of the Roots album.

This collection of tracks covers the period from 2000 to early 2002. By the beginning of this stage the band line-up had stabilized, featuring Terry Joe on vocals, Karl Clews on bass, Gerard Blyth on guitar, Jack Routh on keyboards, Phil Shudell on drums and Keith West on percussion. The band were hard at work promoting their single Gottafindaway hot on the heels of the Ground Zero EP. But the strain of musical differences within the band, difficulties with the record label and arguments with the band's management was starting to show and cracks were appearing. The majority of the tracks in this collection were intended for the band's debut album, but by summer 2001, singer Terry Joe had left, leaving Harambé with a bunch of tracks they couldn't use and casting around for a new frontman. Backing singers Anne Muehlethaler and Lela Lewis were auditioned as replacements for Terry, and a number of the resulting tracks they recorded with the band are included here. However, in autumn 2001, Dean Gannon, the band's first drummer from back in the day, returned to the music scene, having all but abandoned the drums, but with a new-found confidence and a newly-discovered singing voice. The old chemistry between him and the rest of the band was still there and he promptly took over as lead singer, bringing with him an old friend of the band, native New Yorker Mark Mullin on sax, percussion and backing vocals, and injecting a new vitality into the band's sound. Work began from scratch on what was to become the Roots album. However, Harambé's troubles were not over yet. In December 2001, tragedy struck and Jack Routh, the band's keyboard player, was killed in a car crash. By this stage he had recorded half of the tracks for Roots, so, after much deliberation, it was decided that the best tribute to Jack would be to finish the album. Jack's childhood friend, Phil Shudell left the band shortly after Jack's death, and keyboard player Michael Koderisch and drummer Martin Andrews were recruited to help the band finish the album. Martin's slick and fluid drumming style, combined with Michael's gutsy and jazz-inflected organ sounds, provided the shot of adrenalin that the band needed and brought a new kick to live and studio performances. This is the line-up that was to sign to White Elephant Records and release the Roots album in September 2002.