THE SNOW GOOSE

An instrumental concept album seems like an odd idea, but Camel makes it work to perfection. Latimer's vocals were never something I liked particularly anyway, so its absence doesn't really affect the quality of the music. The style of the music is mostly the same as the previous two; it is mostly upbeat, with some slower parts with flute, though this album marks some use of orchestral arrangements in parts, which contribute to the rather overall happy vibe of the album. As always, Latimer's guitar is soulful and Gilmour-eque, and the others do an equally fine job.

I won't review track by track, as I believe the album is one unified piece. But the obvious thing to say here is that in order to have a successful concept (and any album) is to have constant mood changes throughout, which these guys definitely hit upon. The majority of this album is upbeat and cheery, as in 'Friendship' and 'Migration' especially, except for perhaps 'Preparation.'

I would say this album is just as strong as the two albums that surround it, but there is still something missing. Maybe it's because of the vocals, or maybe because it's too soft and lacks the aggression of those two albums. Regardless, this is still a beautiful, positive piece of prog.

8/10