TRUST

Besides the UK, the USA, Italy and Germany, you can always count on a few other countries to keep the glorious progressive torch burning in relative media silence (which oddly sort of guarantees its purity from commercial corruption): France, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Hungary, Poland and the Netherlands today still regularly churn out some great progressive albums. No use comparing the recent stuff to the old glories, these are different times, different world. Sinister Street is another new interesting Dutch band, very much in the Triangle, Knight Area, Nice Beaver, Plackband and Flamborough Head school of allegedly "Neo" prog . While not yet in the masterpiece category, Trust is a worthy addition to any collection, with riveting artwork, ultra modern (aka hard to decipher) graphics, excellent musicianship (standard unit with a unique two keyboard set up) and quite original vocals, courtesy of lead singer Olaf Blaauw. As often the case with most bands from Holland, the bass work is stellar, almost funky at times, the drums are superbly solid, the guitarist has a definite personal style that copies no one overtly (as displayed on the instrumental title cut) and the playing is certainly most spirited, with a crisp, clean production to boot. The dual keys give the proceedings a highly detailed sheen that pleases the ear and satisfies the mind. On the highlight 8 minute + track "Two In One", the bass and the lead synthesizer play in unison, navigating through the slightly Celtic tones, an acoustic guitar-led tune that showcases Olaf's obvious passion, with a magnificently gentle bridge, swirling into a bombastic lead guitar finale, evoking a plethora of heartfelt emotions. Excellent track. "Turning Tide" is another compelling track, a dream weaving musical journey that has both the chops and the message, drenched in a "sea" of melancholy. "Through the Looking Glass" is another extended 8 minute piece that judiciously establishes contrasts, stops and starts and fluctuating moods, with lots of mellotron backing in order to upgrade the tension and some fascinatingly heartfelt vocals once again. This is neither overtly complex nor poppily simplistic, just good prog played by musicians enjoying their craft and hence, deserving of all our praise. It's because of dedicated bands such as Sinister Street that we progfans have a die-hard scene we can be proud of. 4 windmills