SNOWTORCH

Phideaux has outdone himself with "Snowtorch", and that after having set the bar very high. His past two albums have demonstrated a man who is skilled in his craft. (His fifth, "The Great Leap" is a lot stronger than some have given credit. I'm hoping he is able to gain the same respect with a collection of songs.) With "Snowtorch" he proves his mastery and makes it clear that sometimes less is more. This album moves along so fast, with so many beautiful melodies, and with powerful lyrics that are so perfectly delivered, that I have listened to it more often in a short period of time than any album ever. He seems to be at his creative peak, and is confident in his art. Beethoven referred to his much maligned 8th symphony lovingly as "My little symphony". I hope this album won't need the author's defense, but my guess is that Phideaux will hold his "eighth" as dearly in his heart. We often try to compare an artist, or portions of their work, to those who have gone before, but this album stands on its own. This is no "A Passion Play"; this is "Snowtorch". This is a new standard; this is the album to which critics too young to know those "classic progressive rock classics" will compare the next wave of "Prog". I know this sounds overblown, but I cannot get over how much I love this thing. My wife is also listening to this a lot, and she only likes only a few of the cd's I buy. I won't try to break down each song, because I know many others will, but I would be remiss not to express my joy in some of the highlights in one of my very favorite albums. (I can say that already.) 1. I love Phideaux's lyrics, even though they usually are just a little (or a lot) over my head. 2. Valerie has an "angelic" voice, as close to perfect as any to my ears, and she is again beautiful here, but her emotive and powerful delivery in "Helix" really smokes. 3. The interplay between Ariel's violin and Johnny's/Mark's? keyboards near the end of "(Part One") is perfect.