WALK ON WATER

"She" sounds good!

Caamora's second EP release offers some more enticing teasers for their forthcoming "She" project, due to be unveiled towards the end of this year.

The core pairing of the multi-talented Clive Nolan (ARENA, PENDRAGON, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN etc.) and singer Agnieszka Swita are joined for this EP by Mark Westwood of NOE on guitar, Scott Higham of SHADOWKEEP on drums, and John Jewitt of IQ and JADIS on bass. Two of the four tracks, "Shadows" and "Invisible" are due to be included in "She", while the title track and "I can see your house from here" are unique to this EP. All four tracks are composed by Clive.

The opening title track is an impassioned plea for tolerance with a relationship ("I don't walk on water"). Here Swita and Nolan duet on vocals while Westwood ads some fine guitar. The upbeat, commercial tones of the track belie a sophisticated arrangement, especially in the multi-part harmonies towards the end.

Of the two tracks from "She", "Shadows" finds Swita providing a Kate Bush like vocal, backed by some melodramatic piano. The refrain section bursts forth as a melodic power ballad featuring Swita's trembling harmonised vocals . "Invisible" is a soft piano based song, which in terms of the "She" project" appears to be a soliloquy by Swita's character Ayesha.

"I can see your house from here" has nothing to do with the Camel album of that name. The song is another power ballad, which might have benefit from one of Clive's virtuoso keyboard performances.

In summary, another fine, accomplished release by Clive and Agnieszka, which further whets the appetite for the forthcoming double CD and DVD.

I got this teaser for a mere pittance , curious but nevertheless leery about Clive Nolan, possibly my hardest prog musician to figure out , a virtuoso capable of amazing highs and some maudlin lows as well. I have had a hard time getting into Arena, Pendragon, Shadowland, Casino, Strangers on a Train , Jabberwocky etc...because while some parts are superb, others remain ho-hum. I guess it's me....If this short EP is any indication, then perhaps Clive has found the ideal foil for his Wakemanisms, concentrating more on the piano's lyrical ornamentation than the swirling pompous fanfare he occasionnaly bursts out with. Polish singer Agnieszka Swita is another in a long line of fabulous female singers from that country , must be something in the wodka and she really brings to life the 4 tracks that are presented here. "Walk on Water" has some delightful moments, a prissy upbeat wallop that has both power and presence, showcasing both male and female vocals sumptuously. Yes, its a bit "commercial" but in a good way, flush with a strong melody and a passionate delivery. Caught myself humming this a few times, nothing wrong with that! "Shadows" is more temperemental, where the Kate Bush tremoloes come to play in a melancholic piano-driven arrangement, hushing and trembling like a true diva (Sarah Brightman comes to mind as well), a truly inspiring piece of opera-prog to say the least. "I Can See your House From Here" will perhaps fool Camel fans but its a different animal altogether, a lush power ballad with that amazing sense of familiarity , a colossal chorus that imprints the brain immediately. Here her voice has a slight Maggie Reilly (Oldfield) feel, very aglow with fiery passion and superbly paced blues based elocution that sends shivers down my old spine . I must say I have been hooked on this one , singing along while driving , windows down, much to the consternation of Calgary's traffic! C&W this ain't ! My girls will love this one...."Invisible" puts the final stab in my hesitant heart, another luxuriant piano-based promenade that ultimately satisfies, a gentle exercise that again develops a massive plaintive melody, with sublime vocal delivery , proving that when Nolan concentrates on the ethereal instead of the bombast, he becomes a huge talent. The Bushisms (no, not the Dubya!) are self evident, you can picture her pleading with despair and finally convincing the fans that this is the real deal. I will search out the full length album and progress . 4 Awakenings

Shadowland's female cousin

These four songs are so far the only songs I have heard from Caamora. These songs are written in a style very similar to that of Shadowland (which is another one of Clive Nolan's many good bands). All four songs bear a distinct Nolan flavour, both musically and lyrically, but it is clearly the Pop side of Nolan, rather than his Prog side that we have on display here. Even if it is hard not to recognize Nolan's typical way to write songs, there are also aspects of this music that puts Caamora apart from most of the other things he has done. The most obvious difference is the female vocals by Agnieszka Swita. She has a nice voice. Clive also sings some passages himself which further strengthens the similarities with Shadowland in which he was the lead vocalist. His voice blends nicely with Swita's.

As indicated by the cover art, piano is indeed the main instrument in this music. But thankfully this is not just one of those pure piano and vocal sessions, but also incorporate drums, bass and (electric and acoustic) guitars in the right places. However, the four songs all lie in the three and a half to five and a half minute range and there are almost no signs of any real progression in these songs. What we have here is a small selection of well written, but rather basic, Pop/Rock songs. Like anything Nolan is involved with, this is quality music and the production values are high. But needless to say, he has made so very much more impressive music elsewhere.

I would recommend this EP only to hard core fans of Clive Nolan.

The fame of the Caamora project continued to grow.Nolan along with Metal Mind Records organized a set of concerts in Poland (homeland of Agnieszka and beloved place for Nolan's Pendragon) in 2007, later in the year they would also visit Portugal and Canada.Meanwhile a second EP was on the rise.''Walk on water'' was released during the summer of 2007, Nolan and Swita were again helped by Mark Westwood and John Jowitt, but this time the drummer was Shadowkeep's Scott Higham, who joined Pendragon a year later.

The new Caamora EP kicks off with the excellent eponymous track, bombastic and groovy Neo Prog with fantastic vocals by Swita and a balanced effort by the rest of the team.''Shadows'' sees the band again in a bombastic realm, but this time in a ballad Heavy Rock style with an operatic atmosphere.''I Can See Your House From Here'' (not to be confused with Camel's eponymous effort) follows a similar vein.A strong ballad with the piano of Nolan in evidence but also an obvious Classical influence on the guitar playing.With ''Invisible'' things seem to calm down.The operatic elements are still there though.A smooth piano arrangement by Clive Nolan with Swita singing along strong female choirs supporting.

Another good presentation of what Caamora was trying to seed.Bombastic at moments, definitely operatic Heavy Rock delivery with a grandiose atmosphere, though a bit too much in a ballad mood after the opening track.Strongly recommended if you like this kind of music...3.5 stars.