SLEIGHT OF HAND

I've just realized that FLAIRCK has been added here at this site. Since I knew this site in 2004, I thought FLAIRCK should be added here because the music is for sure a progressive music one. My first introduction to the band was when prog music was in downturn sometime in early 80s and I found "Sleight of Hand" as my first introduction to the band. My initial reaction about the band was that it uses more acoustic instruments than those electric with heavy influences from classical music. The music is not complex and I believe most people would enjoy listening to their music. With guest vocal of Maggie Reilly, it makes the music sounds good.

The opening track "At the Blacksmith's Hand" (part 1) (4:46) sounds like a light classical music with excellent string arrangements using woodwind, violin and harp. The album title "Sleight of Hand" (6:07) continues the music in similar vein with more dynamic use of flutes augmented by violin and harp. The album also features track with pop orientation like "Walk Upon Dreams" (4:39) which features clean vocal line by Maggie and soft string arrangements.

Overall, this is a very good album with intense classical music components using mostly acoustic instruments. The band is led by an Indonesian born Erik Visser. Flairck did a concert in Bandung, Indonesia, couple of years ago. Unfortunately I was not aware because it was performed in Bandung, West Java.

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Welcome to the 1980s.......

The cover art work is a major turn off for me. 1980s is the decade the mankind rather want to forget in a hurry. 1980s was the decades ran by bad taste and the taste of plastic. Hence the front cover which is sickness inducing.

The 1980s was also introducing a very slick sound and production into an album like this one. Flairck normally have an edge. Not on this album, though. The band dishes out pan flutes and slicked out violins, other acoustic instruments, synths and a horrible drum sound. Slick is the keyword. The same goes for the vocals from the well known and in that decade frequently used Irish vocalist Maggie Reilly. Her vocals and the backing from Flairck makes sounds like a combo of Jefferson Starship and Clannad. And that is not a compliment, btw.

In other words, this album is very commercial, corporate and very 1980s. The rebuilding of the civilization and reintroduction of good taste has not been kind to this album at all. Flairck is never a bad band, but this is not a good album at all and is best avoided.

2 stars

This album was quite a shock to me when I first heard it. I loved the intricate acoustic folk music Flairck had produced so far. I was not too impressed by the album they recorded with Georges Moustaki but it fitted their niche quite well. Actually I hoped that they would return to their 'roots' after that one and would write long instrumentals again. But this album was far from that. It opens very nicely with 'At the blacksmith's hand', a well-known folk melody which is very well played, combined with blacksmith's sounds. Then the music shifts towards a more poppy direction, probably caused by Maggie Reilly singing (who was by then already world famous because of her collaboration with Mike Oldfield). Because of this Flairck starts to sound like Mike Oldfield but then a bit more folky. The rest of the album stays on the pop side with distinctive folk influences. And how well it works! For after the shock I came to realize that I really like this album a lot. It is optimistic, it sounds folky, it is of course very well played and the variation between the vocal and the instrumental songs is very nice. Reilly's voice blends beautifully in with the acoustic music. It is totally different from the former instrumental albums like 'Circus' or 'Variaties op een dame' but it stands high in its own right.

Flairck would prove to be brave enough to try very different approaches in their music during the many years of their existence. Most of these were quite experimental. In a sense this was also a very experimental album but than according to their own standards. the result is very pleasant and strongly underrated, both on this site as well as elsewhere.

For me this is one of the best Flairck albums to listen to.