LOVER'S END

Well, what can I say, other than, that this is yet another shining, modern progressive masterpiece from the musical geniouses from the far north of Sweden! The uplifting melodies, the absolutely exquisite voice-works, the swirling and twirling synthleads and solos, the very tasty guitarplaying, the pedal-steel... it's all there again. The album is dynamic to say the least. Symphonic moments on full throttle are contrasted with soft passages with perhaps only an acoustic guitar in the instrumentation! If you haven't experienced the absolutely wonderful musical world of the boys from Skellefteå it's about time you did, you won't regret it. "Dancable progressive" might be the hottest new addition to all the sub-genres here at PA!! And Moon Safari is definitely the most important band in that genre!! :-)

Since my discovery of Moon Safari's [Blomljud] back in late 2008, I have often meditated on how much the experience of listening to it shook me up. Not only was it the best prog. album of 2008 by far, but it was also one of the most beautiful and melodious progressive rock records that had the pleasure of passing through my speakers. It made the stuff I had previously thought was the highwater mark of modern prog., material (groups like Dream Theater, Spock's Beard and Transatlantic for example), ring terribly false in their aspirations. Compared to the sheer joy and honesty the boys of Moon Safari champion, how can a serious progressive rock fan consider the half-hearted pretensions of someone like Neal Morse with anything less than humor? I don't know either. Compared to these guys, the poor bastard couldn't sing his way out of a paper bag!

But enough of past accolades: with Lover's End, this bunch has yet again left me in awe at their talent and knack for melody, and even more importantly remind me why I got into the brighter side progressive rock (particularly Yes) as a younger man: letting one's voice rise into celestial harmony, backed by extended compositions full of furious, glorious playing, reaching highs that most pop music can only dream of in a trillion lifetimes. Music that makes me glad to have been born on this planet as a human being.

All eight songs here are quite something, from the glorious lovelorn nostalgia of 'Lover's End (Part. I).", tinkling with a heartled piano line before harmonica and the boys from Sweden let loose their voices, to the equally anthemic 'Crossed The Rubicon', which serves as the 9 minute final crunch before the epilogue 'Lover's End Part. II. Christ, I'm nearly crying here....

For the best that melodic, sunlit proggy. rock has to offer, Lover's End is a fitting crown for the winter season. It's also the best record to come out this year, startling and gorgeous beyond description.

Get your hands today on the best album of 2010. You'll thank me later.

Two years ago I have for the first time listened to an album of this group "Blomljud" and it has very much liked me. It was the present opening, many positive emotions. But "Blomljud" nevertheless very big, it it is heavy to perceive an album at once, therefore I listen to it in parts. And the new album is very competently made, it more compact, concentrated, therefore is perceived on one breath.

It is necessary to tell that the group "Moon Safari" has chosen the, firm style, and it is complex to find analogues so in due course it will be one of the most protruding Swedish groups of Prog-rock. The charming combination of a fine vocal, effect acapella, vigorous and at the same time melodious music creates a unique combination.

Yes, it is distant not all it is pleasant "Moon Safari", many consider its music as a bias in a pop culture, but I anything like this have not detected, moreover, musicians of this group are the present light spot on a background of the majority of gloomy, heavy collectives. I wish good luck to guys, let they do not look at ratings and продожают to create light, positive music! Now such music strongly does not suffice.

Learning by doing.

Ok, so Moon Safari is back. Big time! The prog popers from polar bear land does it again with this third album and it's even better than previous albums, actually they are getting better and better. So is there anything stopping these guys? I have no idea... Let's not hope that anyway.

The previous album, Blomljud, sure had it's moments, but also a couple of questionmarks along the long road from start to finish. Lover's End is high quality all over, setting the standards high with first tune Lover's End pt 1. People always seem to comment the vocal harmonies on the Moon Safari albums and everything you can write about these harmonies has already been written, so I guess I'll skip it.

Continuing the journey with A Kid Called Panic. Without a doubt the best, biggest, badest and most brutal song they have written so far! Everything is perfect here... The vocals, the guitar picking, the keys, everything. Hey, I can't even complain about cheesy lyrics this time!

And on it goes, quality music at it's best and a blessing from start to finish without a single quality dip. I won't spoil too much about the songs or production, you have to hear it for yourselves. Go get the album, it's the best by the band so far and the best album of 2010 so far!

By the way, great vocal harmonies! Goosebumps going bananas.

Well, I've heard this album 2 times and I find it very fun, is one of the best album I've heard this year, great job on vocals reminded me of progressive rock bands of AOR, has many elements of Genesis, Yes, Triumvirat, Beatles and Asia, although I prefer progressive rock albums a little more aggressives, love this album, and certainly one of the best albums of 2010 my rating is 4.5 of 5.0 stars, Lover's End is a great álbum and deserves to be heard by any fan of progressive rock.

I using a translator of Spanish to English in my reviews.

All The Best.

This, oh this is an absolute masterpiece. Moon Safari have managed to come up wtih an even better album after the glorius blomljud.

The positive mood is adorned by average lyrics 'again'. But the instrumentation...and vocals... They were the actual elements that made Moon Safari what they were, and this time they made it again. Vocals are not as amazing as blomljud but instrumentation got much much better. Their guitar work is perfect this time which fits great with the keyboard work. And this time the intense melodic background does not drown the listener. One's ears can easily thank him for listening this glorius album.

Heartland and A Kid Called Panic are the most impressive songs that got my special attention after many listenings. Especially Heartland can easily be shown as an example of their improved instruementation.

Lover's End is, i think, the best album of the year without a doubt. I have to thank Moon Safari for releasing such a masterpiece to the progressive rock world.

I can sum up my thoughts on this album with one word: Glorious. Absolutely glorious!

I've anticipated quite a few albums this year, but many (if not all) have left me feeling very disappointed. Moon Safari announced Lover's End a few months ago, and I've sat with eager anticipation ever since, and I'm pleased to report that the boys from Sweden have not let me down.

As much as I love their 2008 2-disc effort, [blomljud], it could have benefitted from a little bit of trimming here and there. There were some songs that just didn't quite register with me the way some others did. The ones that did register, however, are some truly inspired pieces of work. Lover's End scales things back considerably to one CD with about 51 minutes of music, and there is not one wasted moment.

Where [blomljud] is arguably the pinnacle of pure unfiltered happiness, Lover's End is... Well, not quite as happy. The music itself is as joyous and flowery as ever, but the subject matter is a whole different beast. Lover's End finds Moon Safari branching way out, leaving the countryside of [blomljud] and moving to the city. The songwriting is more inwardly focused and much more personal than anything I've heard from them before.

How's it work? Pretty damn well. Their unique blend of Swedish progressive rock and all-male glee club choirboy singing is better than ever. Their voices are beautiful, and the music is tighter and more focused. Nothing here is as flat-out catchy as some of the stuff on [blomljud], but with Lover's End I feel like Moon Safari has crafted a more accessible but no less unique, powerful, and sometimes-brilliant piece of music.

Lover's End sees Moon Safari blasting their career forward at sickening speeds. Sonically, their evolution is continuing at a steady pace, but artistically, they're exploring avenues I honestly never expected them to, and that's possibly the most exciting thing about this album. It shows that Moon Safari is not a one-trick pony, and that their career shows more promise than ever. I can't wait to see what comes next!

Excellent vocals harmonies! This band openly learned much from Brian Wilson and Crosby,Stills and Nash! Golden, almost classic melodies, sweet multi layered vocals over electro-pop,scented slightly by symphonic rock.

After first album's listening, it was quite difficult for me just to describe this music. Pop- rock,based on West Coast tradition from late 60-s? But musical part is almost pure electronics. OK, there are very simplistic drums and some guitar sounds, in part acoustic.

Surf-pop for 21 century? Again, almost in every composition you can find some ,often very small, but existing symphonic pop-rock arrangements. OK, not the genre's tag is matter.

Music is catchy and very different from you can usually expect from band, having some relations with progressive rock. And even more - Swedish band, not Italian, what wouldn't be so strange.

Possibly, it's not easy to evaluate such release looking from progressive rock fan's point of view. I am sure this is not my cup of tea, but for everyone interested in this album, I can describe it as extremely melodic multi layered vocals and vintage keyboards based electro-pop with elements of symphonic prog (characteristic for some modern RPI bands). For sure, they listened to synth-pop later Yes albums and bands like Gazpacho.

Not sure who could be really attracted by this release. Really quite original pop album, it is less progressive than Steely Dan or Supertramp. Most real listener is probably Gazpacho fan (with no allergy to old fashioned vocals harmonies from late 60-s).

I am happy I borrowed this album, didn't buy it! Not really so bad, but looks too much out of place on prog rock site.

Ladies and Gentlemen, hold on to your hats, the Boys from the land of prog have done it again! Lover's End showcases, in many ways, the continued development of musical and interpersonal insight between the members of this rock sextet. We are introduced for the first time in this latest addition to the Moon Safari legacy, to a new member of the band. The addition of Sebastian Åkesson officially makes the lineup of Moon Safari 50% from the same family (yes, he is the younger brother of Simon and Pontus). Sebastian plays some keyboard and some guitar parts, and for the first time, Moon Safari has a true bass vocalist!

Those who have listened to any of Moon Safari's previous albums will agree that the band is characterized by their overwhelmingly optimistic and happy lyrics and melodies. Many fans regard Moon Safari music as an excellent remedy for the blues, and claim that popping in a Moon Safari disc will turn any frown upside down. If you think that Lover's End will do the same for you however, you are probably mistaken! While the music and the lyrics are, in their own ways, incredibly beautiful and can definitely be elating in parts, this album will probably make you feel a bittersweet melancholy rather than outright happiness and joy.

The lyrical theme addressed by every single song is heartbreak, and the pain of lost love. The album starts out with a beautiful melancholy piano and vocal line in "Lover's End, Pt. I," which builds into a very mellow, but not unhappy instrumental arrangement that caries through another vocal part, and then through to an acoustic guitar and Mellotron flute arrangement. The song is an excellent overture and introduction to the rest of the album, and segues directly into track two, "a Kid Called Panic."

rating: 4/5

"A Kid Called Panic" is perhaps, the most outstanding piece of music the band has ever released (yes, it's even better than Other Half of the Sky), and may in fact be the top song of 2010 (although this is highly subjective). It is an upbeat rock waltz that tells the story of a man suffering from post-divorce depression. In his depression, he has become withdrawn and introverted, and is apparently an alcoholic. This musically and lyrically contradictory song features wonderful instrumental parts and the most addictive chorus I've ever heard.

rating: 5/5

"Southern Belle" Starts out with an a cappella intro, after which a mellow piano line takes over, decorated with some solo singing from Simon Åkesson, as well as some more stunningly beautiful vocal harmonies.

rating: 5/5

"The World's Best Dreamers" starts out very melodic and very calm, then leads into a fantastic chorus. after a second verse and chorus, a synth driven instrumental line takes over, and take the song into a new key. The chorus is repeated in the new key (and shows off the unbelievably high notes that the band members are able to hit).

rating: 5/5

"New York City Summer Girl" is a rocking tune penned by Mr. Johan Westerlund (who also provides the lead vocals for the track, reminiscent of Bluebells on [Blomljud]). It tells the story of a romantic fling, and does a very good job of not taking its self too seriously.

rating: 4/5

"Heartland" Is a booming track with a complicated rhythm and a very catchy melody. It features virtuosic playing and some truly marvelous synth lead playing from Mr. Åkesson.

rating: 4/4

"Crossed the Rubicon" Comes runner-up to a Kid Called Panic for the best song on the album. It is a heart-tugging, powerful, beautiful song that brings with it a distinct feeling of nostalgia and heartache. Laced with outstanding vocal harmonies, and spine-tingling solo vocals at the end delivered impeccably again by Mr. Åkesson, this track serves as the magnificent and awe-inspiring climax to the entire album, summing everything up and forming a very concise conclusion.

rating: 5/5

"Lover's End Pt. II" is the closing track to the album, and at first listen almost seems to have been thrown in as an afterthought, but once the album begins to reveal its "bigger picture," perhaps after four or five listens, it actually makes for a very appropriate epilogue. The lyrics in this short track are possibly the strongest lyrics ever featured in a Moon Safari song, and speak very clearly to those who have suffered from heartache before.

rating: 4/5

After Moon Safari´s brilliant second album Blomljud, expectations were high about its follow up. It seems the group decided to concentrate more on their terrific vocal harmonies for this one: in that field they are even more complex and astonishing than ever before. According to another reviewer they have influences from people like Crosby, Stills & Nash and the Beach Boys. With apologies to that person, and bearing the fact that I´m a longtime fan of both bands, I hear nothing like that on Lover´s End. Moon Safari´s new efford is deeply rooted in the european harmony vocal tradition with some strong jazzy overtones on some parts to spice it up. The only track that has some real american taste on it is New York City Summer Girl (the title is self explanatory). Even then, the music here is derived from Rhythm & Blues, not on the country tradition of C.S & N nor on the BB´s california sound of the early 60´s. Not surprisingly, that track is also the least successful in the whole CD. The band is too just european (in a complimentary way, that is).

I can understand some of the criticism they get here on PA: on a superficial level Lover´s End does sound like a sophisticated pop album. However, if you listen more carefully you can hear those great complex arrangements and the symphonic rock roots that were their trademark since the very beginning (70´s Yes in particular). The instrumental parts are just as amazing as (though less original than) their vocal habilities. It is clear that they are then a lot more convincing on their longer numbers than on the short ones, where their instrumental prowness is less obvious. I would like to hear a little more guitar and keyboards solos. Neverthelss, what they bring us here is nothing short of excellency: the two first tracks for exemple are absolute classic stuff and they alone are worth the price fo the CD. The remaining tracks are at least very good, although only the 9 minute Crossed The Rubycon does justice to their potencial as an instrumental band.

Production is top notch. I just loved the use of many vintage sounding keyboards on this record (mellotron, Hammond and mini-moog).

Conclusion: simply excellent! Blomljud was a very hard act to follow, but Lover´s End proved once and for all that Moon Safari is one of the best symphonic prog bands to come from Sweden in the new millenium. If you enjoy great melodies and stunning original vocal harmonies plus excellent songwriting and fine playing, then you should not miss this one. I´m really glad they are featured here on PA. Final rating: 4.5 stars.

The first impression of this album is much more favorable to me than that of Blumljud, yet I still am not sure how prog this is, it is more retro (STYX, BEATLES, BEACH BOYS, REO SPEEDWAGON, MANHATTAN TRANSFER, BILLY JOEL, etc.) A very well made album of very nice pop music starting with:

Lovers End, Part 1" makes me think I'm hearing a Styx song from the Grand Illusion era. Like STYX, there are moments of proggieness, but mostly it's radio rock. Very nice song.

"A Kid Called Panic" has a bit of early YES feel until the REO SPEEDWAGON singing and lyrics come in. My favorite song on the album.

"Southern Belle" is a step up from "Constant Bloom" in that the harmonies are much more distinctive and I like the recording effects. "The World's Best Dreamers" encroaches on some 80s sounds and effects but retains a very standard pop rock beat and structure.

"New York City Summer Girl" sounds like a MANHATTAN TRANSFER vocal escapade played with a band that might do ALLMAN BROTHERS and early BILLY JOEL covers.

"Heartland" is a neo-prog song on the level of 1978 REO SPEEDWAGON.

"Crossed the Rubicon" is another resurrected REO song. Nice vocal construct and pleasant enough song, but, prog?

"Lover's End, Part II"'s lead singer has a very JOHN LENNON quality, the music sounds like a cross between SUPERTRAMP and some very late BEATLES, and the MANHATAN TRANSFER-like bvox all together making this song very pleasant and catchy/poppy, but progressive?

How should one rate good music, well conceived, recorded, performed and produced, yet which sounds far more mainstream, poppish than progressive rock. Where and Why do the MUSEs, U2s, CUREs, DOVES, MANNINGs, DREDGs, COLDPLAYs, etc., etc. fit into this website's ratings system? This is a very good album with some truly amazing songs and performances. BUT, it is, IMHO, not "progressive rock" and should/could gain a radio/pop following with the right kind of PR/marketing.

Nice and nothing more

Some days ago I read a couple of ravishing reviews of this album, so immediately got it, and really was disappointed, not that the album is bad, because is pretty decent, but I found it unimaginative and anodyne.

Bands like MOON SAFARI place me in a problem, if I start to analyse the music by it's elements, there's not a single flaw. The performances are close to the status of brilliance, the arrangements are amazing, it's as pompous and musically strong as any of the best representatives of the genre, but once you put everything together, something's missing, the sound is empty, lack of personality and the classical Progressive Symphonic sound gets diluted into some sort of Pomp Pop.

It's my impression that YES and GLASS HAMMER have strongly influenced MOON SAFARI in the composition of "Lovers's End" and THE BEACH BOYS in the vocal harmonies, but no matter how good the work is, they lack the magic of the bands that inspired them, the choirs are impeccable but say nothing to me.

Rock is a risky business, you need strength, blend of sounds styles, and if you try to make Prog Rock, you also need to be extremely adventurous, nothing of this was can be perceived in "Lover's End", the album is too aseptic, clean, neat, polished but absolutely lacks of adventure and risk, as if they had taken the safe path always.

I normally review the albums song by song, but to be honest I couldn't find a single memorable track, all are good and well performed but with no depth.

My first intention was to rate "Lover's End" with three stars because it's well played and the music is nice, but being that I have rated albums like "Acquiring the Taste" by GENTLE GIANT and the strong ELP debut with three stars, I can't give this rating to a good but non- transcendental release, so have to go with two stars.

And I'm truly sorry of this low rating, because I like the music, but the album sounded empty to me, so just bought a copy of [Blomljud] that I will receive in the next days, expecting the same sound but also originality and depth.

Fans of chocolate only

Another fresh release lured me with positive opinions. Fairly nice cover art completed the task. Moon Safari, hailing from Sweden, is another band brought under symphonic prog genre.

Well, Moon Safari definitely isn't for me. What a chocolate-box prog is this? That's rather some kind of prog electro-pop with symph prog elements. The music is very well executed, vocal harmonies are precise, production is nice. Everything is okay in spite of melodies. 90% of them is run-of-the-mill and terribly sugary.

Complex composition is the only aspect of this album which seemed interesting. Band manages to create rich musical loundscapes, which are somewhat creative, but again, every sound is full of chocolate. Chocolate everywhere. So if you like music made of sweets, you'll enjoy this album.

This album is very difficult for me to judge. I am a huge fan of Moon Safari, most on the backs of their seminal double album Blomljud although I have quite a soft spot for their debut as well. So I followed the development of this album on their Facebook page for the last few months, carefully avoiding any samples so that it would be fresh when I heard it. I pre- ordered a signed copy from the band as soon as they made them available.

Somehow, others seemed to get their hands on the album much faster than me, and by the time my copy arrived, the good reviews had been coming in for about a week and it was PA's top album of the day. So I had to be very careful, on the first listen, to keep my expectations reasonable, especially knowing how biased the first reviews of albums usually end up being on this site.

When I finally got to the music, well, it confused me more than anything. Perhaps it's because I listened to this CD for the first time in the midst of November, with fresh snow all over the ground, or perhaps it's because I had recently been in Disneyworld, where Christmas has apparently already started (despite the sunny weather), or perhaps it's even the deep red on the cover where their previous albums have been yellow, but something about this album sounded Christmas-y to me. Which is weird, because Moon Safari are famous for their summery sounding music. For the first three songs, I was scratching my head, trying to figure out if I was insane, but by the time "The World's Best Dreamers" came on, I was absolutely convinced. Those high, descending piano notes, combined with the vocals, just sound carol-like to me - as do the vocals in Southern Belle, for that matter.

The other thing that struck me was a bit more Beatles-isms in this album. Lovers End, Part 1., references Across The Universe when they change the chorus of "You couldn't change my world" to "Nothing's going to change my world", and Lovers End Part II always hits me as being the closest thing to the Beatles that Moon Safari has ever done.

Beyond that, the music here is composed of the same things that made me love Blomljud originally: the beautiful choral vocals, the catchy melodies, the upbeat music. Yet somehow, none of the individual songs on this album strike me with quite the strength of their best work from their first two albums. In an odd way, it almost seems like Moon Safari has found a place that they feel comfortable, like they are not reaching as far as they did with their first two albums. Now they know what their sound is, what their fans like, and they're happy to give us more of it. Yes, the music has a bit more darkness to it than their previous two (which doesn't mean a lot, these guys are so sunny!), and it feels more like Christmas than Summer, but I can't say that I feel like it adds much more to the bands repertoire. (Not that I think a band should be changing their sound completely each album - think about Yes and Genesis in the '80s ;)

That aside, this album is still immensely listenable, if you are a fan of extra-melodic upbeat music with a bit of a pop bent. I constantly have the music from this album stuck in my head, it energises me, and I've listened to this album in the last week more than any other album in the last few months. Really, one can't fault Moon Safari for sticking to this sound, when it sounds so damn good.

Every once and a while I get an album that completely captivates me. An album that I feel was made especially for me. An album that touches me deeply to my very soul. Lover's End by Moon Safari is that album. Since I received it, I have continued to play it constantly, and I am still playing it even now. Every thing about it is perfect to me. I haven't been this touched by music in a long time. Because of this reaction, it is hard for me to read some of the more negative reviews posted on here. I just find it hard to believe that people can't instantly hear the beauty of this album. In a way I feel sorry for them because they are missing out on something truly special.

Moon Safari is a band I have grown to love the past few years. I felt that there was something special on their debut album, "A Doorway To Summer," but that they still had a ways to go before perfecting their sound. The sound quality of that album was not great, and I felt the album missed a little bit of a bite. "Blomljud" was definitely a step in the right direction and was one of my favorite albums of that year. I did feel, however, that maybe "Blomljud" was just a little too long and could have benefited from some trimming.

But, in my opinion, with Lover's End, Moon Safari have perfected their sound. The sound quality is great and the album is the perfect length where every song is a highlight. Every moment of this album is beautiful. I tear up every time I listen to it because I can't believe the pure majestic beauty I am hearing. The instrumentation is wonderful. There is a wealth of great piano/keyboard melodies and solos. There is wonderful acoustic guitar moments and electric and slide guitar solos. The drums and bass provide a solid backbeat. But, what truly makes this music transcend is the impeccable vocal harmonies. In many ways, I feel that Moon Safari could be a fantastic a capella group because their singing is just perfect. The vocal arrangements are mind-blowing and leave me speechless. I have a soft-spot for these types of harmonies, so hearing them so perfectly executed brings the music to a whole new level for me.

Like I said before, every song is a highlight. The album begins with the wonderful "Lover's End Pt. 1" that really sets the stage nicely for the progressive feast that is about to come. "A Kid Called Panic" is one of the greatest prog songs of all time. It moves along seamlessly with a chorus that is to die for. After a fantastic instrumental powerhouse section, there is some beautiful piano playing with some of the best singing on the record. It is a glorious song. Then, we move to the pure beauty of "Southern Belle." It starts with an indescribably beautiful a capella section before the beautiful piano comes in and a beautiful melody is sung on top of it with more incredible harmonies.

"The World's Best Dreamers" is just more of the same beauty on display. Great vocal harmonies on top of a great symphonic prog instrumentation. The band has some fun with the brilliant "New York City Summergirl" which effectively evokes an American feel through some more great vocal arrangements and more of a pop prog arrangement. "Heartland" is pure symphonic prog at it's best with some great keyboard playing. "Crossing The Rubycon" is definitely a highlight of the album with some great acoustic guitars, more amazing harmonies, and some of the most majestic music I have ever heard. "Lover's End Pt. 2" is a great epilogue of sorts that wraps up the album with a great Beatles-esque vocal section.

My descriptions don't do it justice. This album is pure beauty. A fantastic blend of symphonic prog and impeccable vocal harmonies. This is a special band and they have created their first masterpiece. From start to finish I am captivated and have tears in my eyes. This is the music I was meant to listen to. I am so grateful to the band for this gift that they have given me. I will cherish this album for the rest of my life. I strongly recommend it to all music lovers.

It s clear that the band was much influenced by Beach Boy, Beatles or Yes singing harmonies but I have to say it is a miss. Their voices are actually good; it is just the melodies that appear way too simple or cheesy. There are probably trying to hard. Their vocals harmony even reminds me on the first track some of "Take That" or "Westlife"

I have to give credit to the band concerning the instrumental side of the album. Influenced by Yes ballades kind of type of song, it works most of the time and sometime very well. The best moments are the second track with a very nice instrumental section in the middle, mixing well acoustics and electrics instruments. The song is "The World's Best Dreamers" is well enjoyable and the last short track do remind me The Beatles.

An album that would have gain by being a bit more instrumental. An album a bit too clean to my taste but that fan of "prog pop" will probably enjoy.

For some, this was a long-awaited release...but not for me, since I'd only learned of Moon Safari this year;) As hard as I tried not to, I went into this expecting Blomljud 2, and I did not get it. Upon a few more listens, though, everything clicked, and there is not a weak track on the album. Lover's End Pt. I is a really cool, laid back song with almost a sixties type feel to it, and an extremely catchy chorus, which is no surprise; they have a real knack for that. The second track, A Kid Called Panic, seems to be everyone's favorite, and all I can say is...same here! There are some influences or at the very least reminders here of Trans-Siberian Orchestra and REO Speedwagon at times in the intro and the verse, but then it's just pure Moon Safari by the end of the bridge. The lead vocals switch from Petter Sandstrom to Simon Akesson, with Simon's strong, gorgeous, perfect voice being lifted from bridge to chorus by the rest of the choir, and they do it in a minor key which gives me chills every time I hear it. Then there's the chorus that everyone's been talking about. How do they do it? Towards the end of the song when they revisit the structure of the verses, it's just piano and Simon's singing. The lyrics, combined with Simon's pristine vocal tone and something else, perhaps just the inflection he sings with, makes this the most theatrical part of the album, and you can really feel how sad and broken or main character is by this point. The chorus from Heaven is sung twice more, and then there is another section of harmonies that is just too good for words. There will probably only be a few times in your whole life that a musical passage will bring you to tears and give you chills at the same time, but this part is definitely one of them. Southern Belle and The World's Best Dreamers are also very solid tracks, and just a great pleasure to listen to. New York City Summergirl is a great one too, and reminds me of the end of Styx's heyday with a little splash of European flavor, which works very well. The ending is unexpected as well, and very well-thought out. Heartland was one that they let us sample before release, and I didn't quite get it. The main synth riff was very catchy, but it took a few more listens to get this one for me. Excellent song, with a little hint of Jethro Tull's Cross-Eyed Mary at times. Very well done! I knew from the Facebook sampler that Crossed the Rubicon was going to be a bombshell, and I was right. It's not enough that these guys can write a killer melody, but then they deck it out with complex and gorgeous harmonies and the result is just stunning. This is my second favorite song on the album. Lover's End Pt.II, as another reviewer said, does come across as something they just threw in for fun, but it does earn its place on the record. If The Beatles and Queen were to write a song together, it would sound quite a bit like this. Overall, I wouldn't call it the musical adventure that it's predecessor Blomljud is, but really, would we want that every time? There is no 'Methuselah's Children' or 'Bluebells' on this one, but there doesn't need to be. They simplified it just a little bit this time around, and it works. I think they are smart enough to know that less is more, and they can write amazing songs no matter what the subject matter is. Vocally...have mercy! This is the only band in the world that I don't want to sing along with when I listen to them, because every listen to those singers is as wonderful as the first time I heard them. There are now three albums, and while I consider each one of them one of my heroes, I have to say that with the songwriting team of Simon Akesson, Petter Sandstrom and Johan Westerlund, we are always going to get amazing songs with years and years of replay value. On a personal note, it's very rare that you hear bands of this caliber who will interact with you. I've contacted three of them on Facebook to let them know what I think of their music as well as to ask a few questions, and they were all cool enough to get back to me with answers and to thank me for being a fan. Thank you for everything, Moon Safari. It is and will always be a treat to hear you!

"Lover's End"? Well its certainly not bad album or boring. The vocals are definitely beautiful. So whats wrong with "Lover's End"? This album just lacks that feeling of great progressive music. Much of "Lover's End" is just one large melodious ballad. Now don't get me wrong, Moon Safari did put some great tracks into this album like A Kid Called Panic. This song does a much better job of incorporating the vocals into the progressive music and adding a whole lot of emotion. A Kid Called Panic also reminds me of Moon Safari's previous album "Blomljud''. Blomljud focused more on the progressive rock and less on the harmonies (with the exception of Bluebells and A Tale of Three and the Tree). So I'm hoping that "Lover's End" is just a test for Moon Safari, seeing how far they can go on their harmonies. I'm hoping that Moon Safari's next album will go back to the good old, more progressive sound they had in "Blomljud. Maybe I might change my mind eventually, but for now it's a rounded up 3 1/2 stars! By no means is this mainstream pop or an upsetting album. But it's not quite essential.

Ps- For all you reviewers that said Moon Safari sounds like The Beach Boys I kind of disagree. Much more of a Beatles sound!

It's beautiful, simply beautiful. In fact, this is everything what this album, this band, their purpose is to create pleasant, uplifting, positive music, maybe because there is a lot of pain in this world, maybe because there is already too much pain and fear in this world. Well, having intention to make something in a way that they want isn't usually enough. You have to have skills and will to do it and musicianship, composing skills, writing of according lyrics, that's something that Moon Safari guys (now 6 of them) have.

It's a band of my interest, I've tried to gather as much information as I could, talk with (mostly Tobias, drummer) guys a little bit and also spread the word amongst my friends. It sounds like I'm religion talker, the one who rings your bell and is standing in front of your house, but nothing like that - or perhaps Moon Safari's music is like that, promise of beauty, only without side effects of being in believing group/sect, or worshiping someone. You just listen this music and smiles. If you want, if not, you just go away. There are people like that.

This won't fit everyone. As I know from my personal experience, as you can see from other reviews, some people dislike this kind of music, while others are too demanding on originality aspect. Well, after all, what's originality, that's tough question. For me, Lover's End has a soul. I can identify, I can hum (and remember, which is not so usual for me) every song there, each of them is special, while of course, I have the most favourite one which I listen most. It's A Kid Called Panic with its powerful riff, "Methuselah's Children" reminding structure (and melody).

Multi-layered instruments, old, thick and vintage feeling (Mellotron, oh yeah), equally multiple vocals (strangely, all guys here have beautiful voices, which is very unsual), this can apply to other two albums as well. Well, casual fans are happy, Prog fans are happy, because there Moon Safari are currently (for me, I'm too young to be expert, yet I hope my voice counts) one of the leaders in Symphonic Prog department, I'm happy (which is important for me, obviously).

I'm atheist. They say that we like to doubt. I once heard that Jews does that too, but don't know too much about this. Yet I don't doubt this music. It simply works and believe me, I don't like shallow, hollow and empty music. This is as complex as this kind of music can go, while staying accessible. And I again have to state that being accessible, or pleasant, or melodic isn't a crime. Doing (oh well, Marty's rant against this band starts again) Asia- type of music is equally also acc-ple&mel for some, but for me, it's something completely different. These attributes are raised to highest level here. Of course, Univers Zero makes terrific music and compared to them, Moon Safari are less complex. But it would be comparison of apples and pears, wouldn't it ?

I mean that you can doubt about everything and if you'll doubt long enough, you can convince yourself about virtually everything. Even about stupidity of this music. But why would someone do such a thing, when he can just enjoy this, be pleased (as I said, I demand quality, I demand certain elements that I want in my music, it has to caugh my attention, attract me and I have to want to listen to it, there has to be some kind of appealing factor, possibly to make me listen to it more, to want to listen to it more and more (and more) - it is there).

Some complains as well, but nothing major. I don't like use of word "chick" in their longest track. It simply doesn't suit me there, even it makes interesting contrast, creating world of possibilities our hero has and what he wants (and cannot get).

5(-), not as good as Blomljud (because it's shorter), but even I've tried (really tried) to be fair and somehow make rate of objectivity/subjectivity as well as possible, I cannot find flaws in it.

Where do I begin? I guess that it is important to state that it is difficult to post an unbiased review for this album simply because my feelings for the album are very strong. Moon Safari's "Lover's End" is easily the finest album of 2010 and, as such, deserves every bit of the five star rating that I am giving it. As far as I am concerned, "Lover's End" is very close to flawless. The musicianship is superb, the vocals, lyrical themes, production, etc. are all top of the line. Whether the band is creating layers of symphonic beauty or moving into an acapella portion of a song, the album flows with perfection and cannot be easily beaten. Overall, the album is beautiful and very near flawless. Honestly, the only two releases this year that rival its beauty are releases by Alcest and Les Discrets. A well earned 5 stars. I cannot wait for their next release.

Admitted, I dislike melodious pop music, that's why I listen to progressive music, preferably to the crispy and crunchy type, the kind with a bite, even if its first taste may be bitter, dull or uneasy. But everyone needs a bit of light music once in a while, so why not this highly acclaimed album from Moon Safari, a band that created quite a bit of buzz.

Lover's End is an album that mostly consists of melodious pop music, with harmonic singing that gets them compared to the Beach Boys. But in my ears it rather sounds like Take That or other boys-bands. It's not just because of the vocal harmonies but also due to the synthetic production and the over-romantic choruses. Of course, there's a significant difference with regular boy bands, they play their music themselves and that they have a bee-buzzing synthesizer in the band. I really can't imagine how such songs could remain interesting for more then a couple of listens. Anyway, if you don't mind nice mainstream pop songs you can sure add an extra star to my rating.

A next thing that bothers me is the ultra-slick sound. It's clean, sterile and clinical in my ears, as if it was fabricated by a computer program. Everything is so meticulously spotless and perfect that it becomes entirely dull and lifeless. There's no room in this music for anything spontaneous, it's all prefab sounds and formulaic songwriting. Still, it's done with skill so if you don't mind very clear-cut streamlined songwriting you might add another star to my rating.

The 13 minute A Kid Called Panic and the 10 minute Crossed the Rubicon are the tracks that have to provide the Prog credibility here but they fail. Both are extended Christmas carols that sound like they were discarded from Yes's Tormato. They are the better tracks here but it remains too predictable, cliché and mellow for me. But if you don't share similar preoccupations with originality, you might like this album more then I do.

On the whole, it bugs me how tame this album is: romantic piano ballads, plastic sounds, prescribed songwriting, carefully applied pop-harmony singing,... There's no natural emotion, no creativity, no excitement. It's all done with skill but it's like a gilded cage with nothing inside. And it sounds so light and stale, like bubblegum Prog that's been chewed by someone else before. No thanks.

There's a whole lot of 'if's in this review and if their all ring 'true' to you then you will obviously like this album more then I do. Not even 'nice' for me. Probably one star, can't make up my mind on that yet.

In my opinion MOON SAFÁRI "Lover's End" it is the best of the 3 albums released to the moment by this Swedish band, a work that in spite of presenting themes quite elaborated doesn't tire the listener. In this disk, however, I could verify a tendency of guitar and keyboard play the same scale, using very similartimbre (in certain moments), what have been avoid, therefore, would give a larger "color" in the melodies and harmonies. However it fits to emphasize, that the disk presents many unanswerable qualities, among them beautiful vocal arrangements, an almost always present slide guitar (in Steve Howe's best style), the constant use of acoustic instruments as 12 strings guitar and acoustic piano and still a bucolic climate in most of the tracks. I highlight among them the track 2 " Kid Called Panic", track 6. " Heartland" and the track 7 "Crossed the Rubicon" pieces worthy of consisting in any prog-rock collection Summarizing, if you like YES, GENESIS, RENAISSANCE, with certainty will like this disk also. My rate is 4 stars!!!

Moon Safari's late 2010 release Lover's End will always hold a special place in my heart. It came to me at a very emotional time in my life, and helped me through when I needed it most. The music here is absolutely wonderful, but I think my personal ties to it create a bias, and it won't resonate as much with most listeners. Regardless of how much this album will hit you, it's melodies and harmonies are great, and are definitely worth listening to.

Lover's End is a concept album that loosely follows the stages that an unnamed character goes through after a breakup. This album came out as my first relationship, one that lasted over two years, was coming to an end. As soon as the first song started, I felt instantly at home. Every single line was something that had crossed my mind dozens of times. Even though listening to Lover's End made me sadder, I couldn't stop listening. It was so nice to have something that let me know I wasn't the only one feeling like I was. The album in its entirety perfectly captures the essence of the end of love, in a way that I don't think any other piece of media can come close to. Like myself currently, the end of the album ends with our character being almost as bad as when he started, but at least looking up.

Lover's End is at its best when one or more of the Swedish men are singing. Each of the band members has a wonderful voice, and there is a nice range between all of them. The melodies found here are very lyrical, catchy, and emotional, and can bring you to both extreme highs and lows. It's rare to find just one of the members singing, and it's clear that crafting vocal harmonies is Moon Safari's specialty. They are in full effect here, and are a joy to listen to, whether they're singing in unison, or creating a more polyphonic texture with their voices. The lyrics themselves are very good, with lines in the opener like "No she couldn't change my world" being flipped to "Only you could change my world" in the following, just as the character is flip flopping between his emotions. Each line reveals a little more of the emotions the character is going through, and are incredibly believable. While the lyrics are usually sung in an upbeat manner, if you really sit down and listen they can sure get to you.

While the lyrics of Lover's End are very sad, the music works counteractive to them, as this is one of the happiest sounding albums you could come across. Since briefly listening to the band's previous album, Blomljud, the music sounds characteristically like Moon Safari. The sound can be described as very bright and consonant, with a lot of piano and Moog led passages that really hit the spot. The breaks between vocal passages usually see instruments sticking to repeating and varying the vocal melodies, but there are a few longer instrumental sections where the band explores more adventurous material. Specifically, those found in A Kid Called Panic, and Crossed the Rubicon, the album's two longest songs, are excellent, and make you wish there were more of them.

Although the music is led by vocal passages and single part melodies, the music is complex enough that it doesn't get boring on repeated listens. Every time that I think I've had enough of it (over 20 times through), I'll give it another try, and it grabs me and pulls me in just as much as my first listen. There's some neat stuff going on in the bass section, and the vocal harmonies themselves can get pretty complex that it'll take a few listens to figure out. Also, the album's length is a very succinct 50 minutes, which leaves you wanting more as soon as it ends.

There's not a lot of bad to be said about Lover's End. More instrumental passages where the music breaks off from the melody would be welcome, but I think that it's a perfect balance as it is. The one thing to be said for people who know they don't like Moon Safari, is that this album will definitely not change your mind on them. Although, it is notable to say that in a genre filled with a myriad of bleak and depressing music, Moon Safari is one of the few bands you can confidently say produce happy prog music.

Lover's End is without a doubt my favorite album of 2010, and even though I'm getting more releases by the week, I don't think anything can top it. That being said, I really don't think this album will effect anyone like it's effected me unless they're in a similar relation to my own. Regardless of how recent your last breakup was, or even if you've never been through an emotional breakup, Lover's End is a great album, and is worth a shot no matter who you are.

Those who enjoyed Moon Safari's 2008 album Blomljud will easily recognise the band on Lover's End. All the elements of that fine release are still in place; the melodic symphonic prog, the Yes touches and of course the strong emphasis on lush vocal harmonies. Lovers of the darker side of prog can stop reading now.

Lover's End is another fine album from the band where the most important element is a strong melody. Some may find them a bit sugary for their taste and while I like the heavier, darker and more challenging prog bands as much as the next man sometimes easily accessible melodies are just what the doctor ordered. While not straying too far from the formula of Blomljud where Lover's End differs slightly is if it was possible, they seem to be putting an even stronger emphasis on their use of Beach Boys style vocal harmonies. This is sometimes at the expense of instrumental elements, which while present are of secondary importance it would seem. That's not to say it's musically lacking as the lush arrangements of keyboard dominated prog are beautifully executed. They certainly have the chops when required and my only complaint would be that they should make more use of them. A few more moments like A Kid Called Panic or Heartland where they do stretch out a bit more would have been very welcome.

Off putting to some may be the pop elements of some of the melodies, my wife would even like this stuff if she sat down and gave it a chance. There's no denying though the excellence of the vocal work. Only Yes have such a rich melodic vocal touch in prog (that I can think of off the top of my head). Backed by the equally melodic musical flourishes and you have an album as accessible as prog gets that would have appeal to many outside the genre.

Lover's End won't be to everyone's taste here on PA but if you like something on the lighter side, even once in a while then this is a lovely album well worth checking out. While it's not quite the equal of Blomljud, Lover's End is another winner and an album I thoroughly enjoy that requires no effort from the listener. Just sit back and let the rich melodies wash over you.

God bless Swedish pop-prog! Moon Safari has done it again. Though not as ambitious as their previous release, Blomljud, it is a more concentrated effort. Musically speaking, the compositions in Lover's End aren't quite as good as those found in Blomljud, but they're still fantastic. My only criticism is that many of the songs are only surface deep, and won't be any more rewarding with repeated listens. This album continues their signature happy, summery, synth heavy sound found in their previous albums, and the result is very sugary and melodic. Highly recommended to anyone open minded enough to venture into pop territory.

Prog Beach Boys !? It works well !

It was a surprise to me when I heard this music for the first time in terms of uniqueness as a progressive rock. They are not like anybody of the classic prog era in 1970's. These guys did not exist in the prog world at that time. Their chorus work is definitely making this difference. It sometimes sounds like American Oriented Rock, and sometimes like choirs in church, but it makes them very different from prog giants of the past and other bands of today. As I always say, you need such a prog music that you can play in your car, especially on a sunny day, and MOON SAFARI fits perfectly. Life is beautiful with their sound.

An Amazing Album

I have been searching a long time for a sound that I can really relate to and truly enjoy. I have recently come across some great bands, including Magic Pie, Karmakanic and Haken, to name but a few. I have also enjoyed the music of Yes, Genesis, Spock's Beard (with Neal Morse) and ELO for many years.

I absolutely adore the sound of this album. You can probably gather from my musical preferences, that I love multi-layered harmonies and exquisite melodies. This group ticks all of the boxes as far as I am concerned and I am thrilled at the direction their music seems to be taking.

This is a great album, worthy of five stars, but I am being a little bit stingy giving them four, (4.5 really), because I believe over the next few years they are going to be a major, major band and are going to release some even greater albums that will simply walk away with five stars every time! What a great discovery for me and what a great band. In fact, I've changed my mind. I've been listening to this album for days now and it just gets better and better. If this band can get a foothold in the USA, they will be massive. Five stars!

Lover's End (Another Brilliant Moon Safari Masterpiece): "One man's meat is another man's poison." In regards to the Lover's End release by Moon Safari (including the recent addition of the new epic Lover's End III) I offer this warning. For those progressive rockers who prefer their music to sound like the grinding of gears and the pounding of massive machines, without a melody in sight, Lover's End is not for you.

On the other hand, if you are a progressive rocker who delights in the beautiful and melodic moments from the music of Yes, Genesis, Camel, Renaissance (and bands of this ilk) you will love and adore Moon Safari and Lover's End.

In fact, with the recent addition of Lover's End Part 3 (Skelleftea Serenade) added to the original Lover's End CD, Moon Safari have now cemented their position, for me, in the family of the great symphonic progressive rock bands of all time.

Lover's End comes on the heels of Blomjud, a true masterpiece and the best progressive rock CD made, in my opinion, for several years. Lover's End presents a similar musical experience in comparison to Blomjud, but with a different lyrical approach.

Musically, both albums are superb and attain an equally exalted stature in my musical world. Blomjud may seem initially to be more progressive in its approach, but Lover's End is more subtle, understated and controlled. If one does not listen very carefully to Lover's End, the album may seem more "popish" than progressive. Many careful listenings reveal the magic under the "hood."

Moon Safari is essentially creating a new progressive rock genre. The genre could be called "hopeless romantic, symphonic, choral pop-prog." I can't get enough of it! It's like the Four Seasons, the Association and the Beatles melding with Yes and Camel. My goodness, what a mix!

With Lover's End, Moon Safari have established themselves as the "World's Best Heart Breakers." Where Blomjud is philosophically upbeat, joyful and amazingly hopeful; Lover's End is exactly what its title indicates, the END of LOVE for some desperate soul.

Besides the lyrics, then, what makes Lover's End and Moon Safari music, in general, so wonderful? In a nut shell, Moon Safari are able to blend the very best of soft rock and pop music with the musically sensibilities of the symphonic progressive rock masters. The musicianship is impeccable, the vocals are the best ever and the melodies are absolutely beautiful. The songs are layered with musical and vocal arrangements that are like a "Where's Waldo" picture puzzle (this is especially true for the pedal steel guitar and for the astounding vocal arrangements).

Lover's End is that unique musical experience wherein you love the CD after the first listen and yet it continues to have tremendous staying power. After listening to the album many, many times, I continue to want to hear it again and again. The music is completely addicting! If a CD I listen to continues to thrill me after dozens of spins, it is progressive rock to me. No pop or AOR music has this kind of staying power.

The key elements of Lover's End that keep me returning for more and more are: (1) Phenomenal, yet controlled musicianship. (2) The world's best rock vocal arrangements and delivery, ever, and by a long shot!!!! (3) Incredibly beautiful melodies. They either bring tears to my eyes or hope to my heart! (4) Thoughtful and expressive lyrics, as described above. (5) A fresh and nymph like quality to the music that makes it hard to categorize and also nearly makes me forget Jon Anderson's separation from Yes. Once again, a new genre is appearing before our eyes.

Finally, I can say that I now look forward as much to hearing Moon Safari as I do Yes or vintage Genesis, Gentle Giant, etc. With Lover's End (along with the inclusion of the new epic Skelleftea Serenade) we have a CD that has done the near impossible; it has more than lived up to the absolutely unrealistic expectations Moon Safari fan's had for it. Blomjud came out of nowhere for me and then proceeded to knock my socks off! Lover's End had the Blomjud legacy to live up to and has done so beyond my fondest hopes. I never thought at the tender age of 58 that I would be so giddy for a new band and their new offering. Thank you Moon Safari for the pure joy of it all.

The third album from Moon Safari offers up a familiar sound for those aquainted with the band, but is still a bit of a departure from their second effort "Blomljud".

Moon Safaris sound is one of catchy, almost pop-like melodies, finely crafted into a progressive framework. They make use of a wonderful blend of acoustic and electric guitars, piano and retro synthesizers, and on top of it all are masterfully arranged vocal harmonies, the quality of which sets Moon Safari apart from most other bands.

"Lover's End" is an even more vocally driven album than Blomljud. It's a bit less progressive, very melodic. The songs have a clear theme: the album tells the story of a man trying to get through a break up. The lyrics are kind of sad, but the overall sound of the album is happy, but sometimes a bit bittersweet.

Moon Safari sure knows how to craft fine music, and they are also very good performers. One of the best bands currently playing. This album is another triumph for them. Although I prefer their second album "Blomljud" over this one, I still consider it a 5-star album (Blomljud is one of my favourite albums ever).

I recommend this to all fans of the band. If you are new to the band, might want to check out Blomljud first.

This is an album that seems to divide reviewers into two camps. I am firmly in the camp that sings the album's praises (in perfect multi part harmony, of course!). We all have our own predilections, of course, but some of the criticisms aimed at this release are unfair and inaccurate. Straight from track one, "Lover's End Pt. I", we're "pulling out of here to win" as the opening bars doff their hat to Springsteen's "Thunder Road". What follows is unashamed and unreserved emotion expressed through a Spectoresque "wall of sound" which ends with a folky prog instrumental break that segues into ... The 14 minute epic that is "A Kid Called Panic". This is prog by anyone's definition but prog with a chorus - "Help - I need to escape, I don't belong in here" - that once heard will be in your head for the rest of your life. After the second chorus, a sublime and superbly innovative instrumental section builds slowly over several minutes before those harmonies briefly return to take the euphoria to a new height. The whole thing slows right down before Simon Åkesson delivers some beautiful lyrics with a vocal that could melt the hardest heart. Brother Pontus delivers some killer guitar, the song is over and we are left emotionally drained. "Southern Belle" takes the emotional intensity down a notch as the harmonies come into play and yet another Springsteen reference is made. "The World's Best Dreamers" follows in a similar style highlighting those beautiful voices. "We're the world's best dreamers" sing the lads and it's hard to disagree. "New York City Summergirl" sees Johan taking the lead vocal as the band deliver yet another catchy but clever tune that appeals to both the prog and the pop ears. "Heartland" is a masterpiece of progressive rock that could have lasted 20 minutes if the band had padded it out in the way that some prog bands do. No need as its innovative twists and turns give you all the pleasure you need in under six minutes. "Crossed The Rubicon" is a magnificent song that might have, in my personal opinion, been better served to be a little sparser in parts in its production. It has all the great Moon Safari elements: magnificent music, the inimitable harmonies but perhaps, to my ears at any rate, there is sometimes too much going on. The recent live version, which was immense, showed the real power of the song for me. "Lover's End Pt. II" takes us full circle and get us ready for Part III, "Skellefteå Serenade". All in all, another great album from Moon Safari, less proggy than "Blomljud" but excellent music so who needs a tag?

It would have been nearly impossible for Moon Safari to get even more ambitious than what they did on their second album and thus it might not seem too surprising that the band chose a different route for their third release. Lover's End was released towards the end of 2010, almost 2,5 years after the release of their ambitious sophomore record [Blomljud] and showed another significant change in the band's direction. The album featured a slightly softer sound and thus leaving out many of the previously significant progressive elements from the two previous releases. The compositions were shortened down, with only two of the 8 tracks being longer than nine minutes, which made less room for instrumental interludes and fewer sections within each composition.

Does this necessarily mean that Lover's End is a weaker album in terms of its progressiveness? Well, it's not like Moon Safari have completely abandoned their prog tendencies, instead they sharpened their songwriting by not allowing their compositions to overstay their individual welcome. Instead we get a more natural flow of material with each track featuring just enough ideas and execution to allow listeners to enjoy and appreciate the music without being bored by excessive prog sections just for the sake of it. I feel that there is a certain trend among quite a few bands (especially under the Crossover Prog sub-genre) that border on the edge between prog and pop music that often chose to feature certain prog elements just too receive the prog label, which will ensure that prog rock fans will listen to it.

The album's stand-out track is also its most technically ambitious composition titled A Kid Called Panic. This track is a complete bliss from start to finish and features a diverse set of elements that will appeal to fans of pop, art rock and prog rock alike. Other highlights feature the melodically driven Heartland and the beautiful and atmospheric The World's Best Dreamers. I honestly can't think of any disappointing compositions since the shorter track lengths allows even some of the less interesting moments to shine without overstaying their welcome.

If you are a fan of very melodic and harmonic music then Lover's End is definitely an album that you should discover. It's not as ambitious or technical as [Blomljud] but there are just enough progressive moments to make it count as a solid progressive rock album.

***** star songs: A Kid Called Panic (13:57) Heartland (5:47)

**** star songs: Lover's End pt. I (6:43) Southern Belle (3:47) The World's Best Dreamers (5:46) New York City Summergirl (4:08) Crossed The Rubicon (9:46) Lover's End pt. II (1:57)

I've told you before that from now on Moon Safari would have a strong relationship with the Akesson family.In 2009 a third Akesson member joined the band, it was Sebastian, who would contribute on vocals and take over some of the keyboard parts for the upcoming album ''Lover's end''.It was some sort of a biograhical concept on the band's timeline from the early beginnings to the point becoming a well-known Prog band.It was released in 2011 on the band's own Blomljud Records.

More or less you should actually know what to expect from a Moon Safari album, with this effort they come as close as it gets to the NEAL MORSE-linked SPOCK'S BEARD years, so do not expect something original, the two bands sound very similar in stylistical terms, especially when Moon Safari insist on displaying sweet polyphonic harmonies throughout the album.But the band's music is still excellent, ranging from THE BEATLES to the classic sound of YES and GENESIS, despite the ultra-clean production organs and Mellotrons are heavily used in Symphonic/Pop Rock arrangements.You won't find any true epic in this album, ''A Kid called panic'' comes close to the 14-min. mark and all other cuts are less than 10 minutes, showing that the band was heading for a different approach on this album.In fact I think this is the most vocal-dominated effort by Moon Safari thus far and all these harmonies come with multiple voices.The instrumental background though is extremely cohesive to say the least, always melodious and delicate but very far from cheesy or accesible, filled with piano, synths, guitars and, wow, those incredible flute strings.You could accuse the band for becoming a bit pompous and too elegant at times, but dramatic tunes and atmospheres are not absent, there are plenty of great symphonic soundscapes in this work, suitable to all symphomaniacs' tastes.

Moon Safari always produced both sweet/elaborate and dramatic music, this one apparently crosses the line towards the more elegant side of the band.Still a very consistent work of Symphonic Pop/Rock with countless interesting instrumental moments and melodies.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

An absolutely beautiful masterpiece of modern prog. The first song I heard from Moon Safari was A Kid Called Panic, the second track on this album. I was immediately struck by its theatrical, anthemic nature, and hard-hitting lyrics, accompanied by gorgeous piano riffs and vocal harmonies. Clocking in at just under 14 minutes, A Kid Called Panic is the longest song on Lover's End, but despite its significant length it still left me wanting to hear more, so I was inspired to give a listen to the rest of the album. I am so glad that I did. The piano intro of the album's first track, Lover's End Part 1, feels like the overture of a musical, syncing well with the theatrical energy that drew me into A Kid Called Panic. The song is clearly destined to be at the beginning of the album. It's a strong set-up, successful at drawing you into the wistful universe that the record resides in. The instrumental outro transitions seamlessly into A Kid Called Panic, which despite its beautifully depressing content, is where the energy of the album begins to rise. This energy peaks with a key change at the end of the song, and culminates like an exhale into the calming acapella of the beginning of track three, Southern Belle. The harmonies in Southern Belle evoke the melancholic side of the Beach Boys, with a modern twist. This track is the second-shortest on the album, but is able to pack an unexpected amount of emotion into its small package. Tracks four through six (The World's Best Dreamers, New York City Summergirl, and Heartland) have always felt like the weakest on the album to me, but that doesn't mean they're bad at all. Rather, it speaks to the strength of the other songs. In terms of the contour of the album, the energy picks up across this set of songs, providing a nice reprieve from the heaviness that much of Lover's End contains. Much like the first two songs on the album, the last two tracks functionally feel like a pair to me. Crossed the Rubicon is both the second-last and second-longest on the album, and functionally serves as a climactic point. With this track, Moon Safari continues to provide an astounding sense of contour and story. Crossed the Rubicon is shaped in a way that keeps your interest across its nearly 10 minute length, working together with confessional, turning-point lyrics, lush instrumentals, and the group's signature harmonies to form the powerful climax Lover's End deserves. The album wraps up with a bittersweet 2 minute outro track named Lover's End Part 2. Staying true to the wistful feelings established throughout the record, Lover's End Part 2 beautifully concludes the album that drew me into the magical world of Moon Safari. I would recommend this album to both prog listeners and non-prog listeners alike, because not only is it tastefully musically complex and thoughtfully constructed, its also ridiculously pretty.