MAGICIAN AMONG THE SPIRITS

This "Church" album is a slight improvement in comparison with their previous "Sometime Anywhere". One can still search for the relation to prog of their music but there are some good songs featured here ("Comedown").

The highlight from this album is the superb "Ritz". As I was closely lined with the new wave scene at the end of the seventies, this song automatically reminds me of the great "Doctors Of Madness". An incredible band who would deserve to fit on PA thanks to its admirable violin play which can be found here. The haunting vocal part from Steve is not alien to the "Kid" Strange ones, and the superb Urban Blitz finds a great counterpart here with Linda Neil.

I was quite reluctant when I heard the opening track, but the next trilogy of songs is just brilliant. When you have listened to "Grandiose"; only one word comes to mind: "Grandiose" my friends. Powerful, heavy, hypnotic: magic in one word. A superb instrumental track and another highlight.

There is of course the unavoidable Bunnymen-oriented track ("Ladyboy"); or is it some Lou Reed reminiscence? In any case, this true rock-based tune is quite effective: splendid guitar and sustained rhythmic.

Some songs though could have been avoided and would have brought the length of this album into decent territories. The long complaint of "It Could Be Anyone" is one of these. But the magic is back again with "The Further Adventures?". Same feel as I have outlined already: new wave sounds to the bones (with some added keys), andt I like it.

This album features some excellent songs, but other ones are clearly attracting it to lower territories ("Romany") and the epic and hypnotic title track is too much of the same to be fully attractive.

Three stars for this work which would have gained to be shorter and somewhat more dynamic at times.