AFRAID OF SUNLIGHT

Marillion's follow-up the amazing Brave album was called Afraid of Sunlight and although not a concept album, the songs generally cover the theme of celebrity self-destruction. The lyrics are often satirical and often hint at various contemporary celebrities (for instance King refers to Elvis Presley). Musically, this album is much more melodic than Brave and shows some signs of returning to their mainstream sound prior to Brave. It has more of the feel of a hybrid of the two. Again, no earlier influences are evident. Many of the songs have a strong "wall of sound" feel to them, giving them a really powerful delivery. Hogarth's vocals are again strongly delivered and emotionally charged. Beautiful and King are powerful songs. Even the Beach Boys-inspired Cannibal Surf Babe is an enjoyable listen.

Although not as good as Brave, Afraid of Sunlight is still an exceptional release and one of the best from the Hogarth era. Far from being anything like their early neo-progressive days, Afraid of Sunlight is an intelligently constructed art rock album easily worth four stars. An excellent addition to a prog rock collection and definitely worth your time if you're into more accessible, song-oriented progressive rock.