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ONE DROP IN A DRY WORLDWoolly Wolstenholme's MaestosoEclectic Prog3.17 | 13 ratings |
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Joolz
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator |
![]() The result, compared to debut album Męstoso, is more of the same yet different! Songs retain undeniable character traits familiar from Woolly's earlier work yet arrangements are looser, more open and a little more relaxed, less consciously recreating the old BJH sound, even in places reminding me of singer-songwriters like Sean Colvin with acoustic guitars to the fore backed by a gently rocking rhythm section. A Waiting Game is an example, a lilting song about rampant consumerism highjacking Christmas, which follows a multi-tracked guitar solo with a mellow oboe passage, the whole effect painting an evocative picture of mince pies by a fireside on a cold winter night. But, fear not, for the mighty Mellotron makes its presence felt too on songs like the three-part progressive blockbuster Blood And Bones ["without a soul we're nothing more than ...."] sandwiching an ethereal requiem between big dramatic themes and powerful guitar phrases. Described by Woolly as a "miserable hymn for insomniacs", 2 A.M. uses 12 string guitar and lovely fretless bass to create a sombre mood demonstrating the darker side of some of Woolly's lyrics which commonly relate to everyday concerns. Indeed, many lyrics on this album are doom-laden and angsty, as if Woolly was angrily exorcising a few unwelcome ghosts. Special mention must be made of Souk, perhaps the album's stand-out track, depicting life in and around an Arabian bazaar, but hinting that things are very different when the sun has set and the tourists have gone. Built around a glorious riff from Broomhead and some excellent chord progressions, it evokes the sights, sounds and smells [huh?] of northern Africa through clever arrangement and orchestration, almost Page-Plant [Unledded] in flavour. All in all, a welcome and triumphant return from the cold with enough Prog twists to satisfy.
Joolz |
4/5 |
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