TICK TOCK

I generally have a highly critical approach to follow-up releases. In most cases it has to do with the fact that bands don't progress once they attain a certain level of success or that they take an entirely different route just to relieve the pressure of a worthy follow-up. Of course there are times when the artists manage to evolve and push things even further in the development of their sound but unfortunately those events are rare and far between. Tick Tock doesn't fit in any of these categories.

Once Desert Flight kicked in I was certain that I was in for a real treat! The track didn't sound anything like material from Night, so did that mean that Gazpacho tried to take an easy way out by going for follow-up approach nr.2? To my surprise the rest of the album didn't contain another up-tempo track but what I got instead was equally surprising.

The Walk part I with its beautiful melody basically took my breath away from the first time I heard it. This type of strong melodic content was missing entirely on the previous release and to be honest it was one of the things I wasn't expecting from Gazpacho. With the introduction of The Walk: Part II the album finally shifted into familiar territory but somehow these compositions aren't as memorable.

The title track starts out rather shaky with an unimpressive part I but definitely redeems itself towards parts II & III which ends with a real bang. The concluding track Winter Is Never is a return to the new territory that was explored on The Walk part I and offers a good conclusion to the album's theme.

I expected the atmospheric middle section of Tick Tock to grow on me as much as their previous album did after a few spins but this time it nearly took me double the effort to get the material to a somewhat satisfying level. To be honest I'm still uncertain about my feelings towards the Tick Tock-suite but it's certain that the result here aren't of the top notch quality.

This album basically works when the band tries something different while the more familiar work is below the level of what they have achieved previously. It's an unusual combination that I surprisingly enough rank at the same level as Night. There is a definite progress but at the cost of the overall quality.

***** star songs: Desert Flight (7:39) The Walk: Part I (8:03)

**** star songs: The Walk: Part II (5:39) Tick Tock: Part II (9:39) Tick Tock: Part III (5:30) Winter Is Never (4:55)

*** star songs: Tick Tock: Part I (7:17)