SCHEHERAZADE AND OTHER STORIES

Renaissance really focuses on the "symphonic" side of the equation, much more than the "rock" side- I would not classify this album as rock at all, but that is not a problem, of course- what matters is the sound and the emotion of the work, and Scheherazade succeeds in those areas. Each song is a dramatic and soulful piece, with truly incredible vocals from Annie Haslam, usually taking center stage over the instruments when they are present. As for the instrumentation, it is well-made and normally tasteful, but I must admit that there are "down" parts that could have been cut out, especially on the long song, Song of Scheherazade, which contains just a few too many "quiet parts" for its own good, though there are also some truly incredible moments to be found. Scheherazade blurs the line between three and four stars, but I don't think it's quite excellent, as it doesn't have too many really engaging parts, so three stars- good but not essential- seem in order.