PHOTOPLAY

While fellow neo-prog peers were steadily gaining in popularity, thanks to Internet (in fact, it could be argued that the best works by artists such as IQ and others came 20 years into their existence), Jadis seems to have hit a snag, with subsequent albums becoming less popular. They were never that complex anyway, but kept on simplifying their sound. Photoplay is an eleven-song collection of tight rock tunes, having more to do with classic rock than neo-prog (some of them pretty heavy by Jadis standards). They aren't as simple as they seem at first glance, often moving between softer and heavier sections, and there are some good riffs and melodies, so common criticism of this album is a bit unwarranted. However, the overall impression is still of inconsistency (a song may have a good opening riff... and nothing else of note) and low energy. I think the problem is that what set Jadis apart from other neo-prog bands was their exciting instrumental firepower and guitar solos. Without that, they're just average among dozens of bands like that.