EKKEDIEN TANSSI

After the tasty debut (one of my favourite Finnish prog albums) Tabula Rasa did only this album which is clearly weaker. In some songs it even sounds like completely other, mediocre soft-rock band with nothing of the Camel-type beauty or the sensitive mystic feel that you heard in 'Gryph' and other highlights of the debut. Not much of any 'progness' either. The flutist is gone but the uninspired feel is bigger than that alone would suggest. Lyrics are mostly flat, for example 'Omantunnon rukous' (= Prayer of Conscience) could be done by an untalented gospel pop group. And some instrumentals go nowhere.

It's been many years when I listened to this completely, so I may remember it as worse than it actually is, but only for two songs I can now give some praise. 'Aamukasteen laiva' (= Ship of Morning Dew) sounds as fresh as the poetic title. It's the only track where the arrangement is innovative and delighful, and also the minimalistic lyrics - only few lines repeated and varied a little - work well in it. And 'Rakastaa' (= To Love) is a melancholic ballad, nothing special but pleasant. Probably the whole album could serve as sufficient low-key pop for background, but no proggers even in Finland need to know it. A pity...