The opener is impressive: a basic drum pattern (Adam Fairclough) grounding the opening title track into a groove as French chanteuse Carla Diratz, delivers a deep drawl, like a gruff ANNETTE PEACOCK, semi-spoken, semi-chanted probing poetic lyrics with impactful interjections from guitar (Nick Robinson) and sax (Martin Archer), Dave Sturt’s probing basslines, a keys sound recalling Mike Ratledge of THE SOFT MACHINE, and Charlotte Keeffe’s trumpet. Then the calm after the storm if you will, appears in the first of three etudes, mostly accompanied only by fragmented pianos and melodies, while Ms Diratz takes on a role which reminds me, in feeling, of the narrated passages of the great French progressive rock group ANGE.
Equally impressive are ‘Dove mi hai lasciata’ which elegantly combines brass, keys and electronics with some vocal scatting and ‘I Am with You’, the retro organ sound and Sturt’s inventive bass providing the backdrop for a winning combination of brass and guitar. ‘The Nature of a Child’ is another particular favourite, the sultry soulfulness of Keeffe’s trumpet overture to Robinson’s guitar arpeggios leading to a nostalgic brass treatment, a perfect foil for the singer- the attention to detail and production exemplary. ‘Merry-go-Round’ indulges in the avant-garde for a little while but the music is always rooted in melody which soon emerges, extremely atmospherically. ‘Teen Dance’ and ‘Desert Prayer’ touch on KING CRIMSON as the music exits powerfully. BTW Mr Archer has applied the term ‘Improg’ to the music.
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