SPECIAL POWERS

After the release of Dronne in 2016, singer Sharron Fortnam left the band. The following Folly Bololey album (2019) was a bit of an outlier in the NSRO discography, covering songs from Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom with a guest singer. Despite many years of waiting and Chantelle Pike as a new singer, Special Powers feels very much like picking up where Dronne left, and very much in line with the band's earlier work, with even Pike's singing very similar to Sharron Fortnam.

Craig Fortnam, still major composer of the band, strikes gold with many tunes here. All the non-instrumental songs have wonderful melodies and tasteful arrangements and composition. Very addictive all this! NSRO fans like me will for sure love this. There are three instrumentals, two of which are very short (the Guitar Miniature no. 5 is just that, and only has Fortnam on acoustic guitar) and just provide some contrast. The opener Mansions in Eternity is a longer almost classical composition at almost 8 minutes with strings and woodwind, taking some time to set the scene and start the album off very gently.

Generally the music is more a fusion between classical chamber music and folk melodies and songwriting, with very little rock in there. Modern elements are used very economically with a little bit more prominence in the very end. And what an end that is!

Those who know their earlier work will wonder whether "less rock more chamber music" is even possible, but let me assure you, it is (on the second track Hearty they are as punchy as it gets from them though). Like earlier albums of the NSRO, the album features the unique style of the band very confidently, and it's a joy to listen to the rich arrangements with various orchestral instruments and well arranged harmony vocals.

Overall this is a fantastic "chamber fusion" album that I love to pieces. Misses out on the fifth star just because (a) hardly any rock on it (so doesn't fit the PA five star descriptor), (b) not very revolutionary - they used these elements before (therefore listen to all of their albums if you love this!) and (c) too short. Well, actually at 37:41 not that short, but it always feels over far too soon!

Social review comments

Review related links

• Send comments to Lewian
• Report this review (#3208207)
• Buy NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA music online with PA partners
• Show all NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA MP3/Stream
• Go to NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Special Powers page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA related discussions