FOREIGN LAND

The Far Meadow's Foreign Land offers a style of sunny, optimistic neo-prog which puts me in mind of the best work by the likes of Jadis or Magenta - but with the complexity level dialled up just a tad, taking the music to the periphery of symphonic territory. Marguerita Alexandrou's vocals are a major asset, offering a welcome combination of technical chops and a characterful approach, and the compositions are well judged such that vocals and instrumentals support one another rather than getting in each others' way. With a running time of 50 minutes, nobody should feel shortchanged but equally the band don't outlast their welcome either, with a running order which is largely all-killer, no-filler.