IL PESCE ROSSO...

Well their first album may have been "Italian Symphonic prog" but this second release is really more elaborate prog flavored jazz-pop to my ears. Only one original member remains and this album is quite different than their first.

Very light and nimble playing throughout. A clean electric guitar sound and near-whispered or soft vocals in many places give the visual of a band trying to cut an album quietly in one room while trying not to wake a sleeping family member in the next room. Kidding of course but the sound is on the soft side. The drumming is extremely agile and expressive as is the bass. The guitar sound (I'm no expert but it's a clean electric sound that is altered to sound wavey) really grew tiring to me after a bit and could have used more variation. My favorite track was "Altomare" which did have some splendid guitar work near the end. The mood of the music seems mostly melancholic but without understanding the Italian vocals I can't shed much light on the content.

A nice album for fans who enjoy the more reserved rock bands on this site but hardly essential for proggers.