GENIUS LOCI

One of the most talented and accomplished lineups in progressive rock music, these artists seem to be getting better as they age, mellowing and not requiring the intense complexities, expressing a rarely encountered mastery of space and understatement--accomplishing more with less. Though these songs feel so easy and smooth, the note-by-note renderings are quite complex and rarely predictable.

1. "Eilmer" (9:33) jumping right into story telling with Amy singing from the opening note, she is supported by a spacious, almost jazzy arrangement of chunky bass, dirty guitar, distant electric piano, and syncopatedly accented drums. The weave is steady and rather bucolic despite its electric bass, while Amy's nontraditional melody lines and poetic imagery kind of lull us into comfort and melancholy. (Words from previous generations often seem much more appropriate for trying to capture the essence of TK's songs. Class and literacy ooze from their work.) The guitar solo in the sixth minute sounds so much like something that one would find on a STEELY DAN album! Wow! I am speechless! That was so sublime and mature! The build up and climax in the second half is so subtle yet insistent that I find myself shocked when it's over. Great song! Great construction and admirable restraint in its abridgement. (19/20)

2. "Uffington" (11:35) Sublime beauty with that "simple complexity" of which I wrote in the lead paragraph above. There is such a wonderful Becker-Fagen-Katz feel to this music! The band definitely feels more likely to play in a jazz house than a rock stadium. There is an important element--an expression or emulation of reverence for Nature--in this music, one might go so far as to claim that it is in fact essential. (18.25/20)

3. "The Poison Garden" (3:50) piano intro, gorgeous and contemplative, soon joined by the pastoral imagery of Amy's lyrics sung in her usual unpredictable melodies. Beautiful, poignant, timeless. Another one best performed in the intimate, smoky darkness of the jazz lounge. (9/10)

4. "The Voice of the Lar" (20:06) opens up sounding like the jazzy side of YES: early Steve Howe, Tony, Kaye, Bill Bruford, and Chris Squire. At 6:53 there is an interesting shift into a Mellotron-and-organ-based almost Jean-Luc Ponty/Weather Report feel. At 8:30 Amy makes her first appearance with very simple and sparse accompaniment from electric piano, Mellotron, sparse bass, and cymbal play. A minute later the Yes-sound has returned while Amy continues singing. Definitely an old Time and a Word feel to the music--especially in the guitar play as this section continues. At 11:15 there is another jazzy bridge before we enter into another instrumental section--this one more a set up for some TONY BANKS-like electronic keyboard soloing. Amy returns at 12:55 while the band plays the same early YES weave. Thanks to Johan Brand and Thomas Johnson, this never gets old or boring. In the fifteenth minute there is a switch to piano base and more odd tempo constructs and accents, then to swirling organ, chunky bass, and complex PETE TOWNSEND-like guitar chord strums. Paul Mallyon is brilliant here! Amy returns to sing over the final couple minutes as the 'tron-led YES-musicians build up to their finale. Flawless composition and performances only rated down for lack of super-refreshing surprises, a little lack of diversity. It's not often bands pay tribute to early YES! (36.25/40)

5. "Mirie It Is" (8:52) opens like a a Rickie Lee Jones piano song before Amy enters singing in an ancient language. Flute bridges the first verse to the second, opens the way for bass, percussions, and electronic keyboards to join in. What a masterful, beautiful construct! Three minutes in and Amy's only sung that initial verse: it's all been instrumental since then! Masterful performances from Anna Holmgren on the flute, Johan Brand on the chunky, forward-mixed bass, Thomas Johnson on keys, and Paul Mallyon on the drums. What 'nglag'rd would have sounded like if they had slowed it down and played with space and time more. When Phil finally joins in with two guitar tracks in the sixth minute, it's like the king has arrived! The simple and yet numerous keyboard contributions made by Thomas Johnson are so perfect! Like listening to Mike Oldfield slowed down for effect. It's not until the final minute that the music d back to the simple piano accompaniment with which Amy sings her second and final verse (same as the first). Perfection! One of my favorite songs of the year! (20/20)

Total Time 53:56

Five stars; a veritable masterpiece of mature and impressive progressive rock compositions. Definitely my vote for Album of the Year (... so far).

THIEVE'S KITCHEN is a band half-English, half-Swedish, taking his compositions as different adventures to explore their curiosity dinosaur sounds of the 1st period. His mentor worked on GRAY LADY DOWN, his music is both progressive, alternative and imaginative. The groups will referents KING CRIMSON to GENTLE GIANT, GENESIS to van der Graaf and YES to ANGLAGARD. Some directors label will place it in its "Eclectic prog", if you will. The musicians come from groups such BLOOD HUM ANGLAGARD precisely and the recent ALL TRAPS ON EARTH. I have struggled with their 5th album 'with pies', but' The Clockwork Universe "sounding more concise and more structured, had seduced me; what about their seventh, it's gone.

"Eilmer" begins with a song witness, throwing both sounds jazzy prog canterburyennes and purely in this musical maelstrom of the 70's: the female voice of Amy sets the tone of the ballad sound with various instrumental versions rather than solos; bass Johan shoots that Chris SQUIRE while various synths Thomas flirt with those of Tony BANKS; Phil guitar reminds me at times those of Steve Howe and Steve Hackett. The air is monolithic and playful at once, although in the cold style, austere and fruity ANGLAGARD. "Uffington" by Anna flute and drums immerse you in the first tremors génésisiens and that most of the spirit Canterbury with an airy guitar and jazz-rock on the edge of improvisation in rock art of creative madness.

The various titles derive from fussed engineering LOCI, spirit of nature; that title in three movements you can listen smoothly and without waves, I wonder if I do not age faster than expected because my ear begins to appreciate these notes tormented timeless; Ah yes, the Hammond organ on "Seven Stones" must be something to do. "The Poison Garden" follows, ephemeral little rhyme minutes with minimalist piano and voice whispered that one would see in a piano bar; it's simple, but it also worked very well for introspection midterm.

"The Voice of The Lar" and as more than 20 minutes perfectly orchestrated, a title that looks straight out of GENTLE GIANT, YES, KING CRIMSON also the go, the first PINK FLOYD, some VAN DER GRAAF and first GENESIS; sound, complex melodies, instruments highlighted as and measure the rise of the song, you will need several listenings to guess or discern the many musical drawers; festival achieved between the guitar and synthesizer, all supported by a forceful rhythmic base avoiding any trouble; solo me back even a title soundtrack "HEAVY METAL" I let you up! Some breaks are moving from a dinosaur group to another without transition, quite hilarious. One thing is sure, we move away from jazz influences to enter the convolutions of ANGLAGARD or ANEKDOTEN but with a softer look, more balanced, more cold too, almost melancholy; must be the voice of Amy to restore an almost festive tone to YES. The end off again on a more introspective movement. "Mirie It Is" with clean air, clear, almost magical piano and flute, comes as the latest title as there bringing an almost archaic musical research worthy of the first titles like GENESIS "stagnation"; one can feel the influence of Chick COREA, instruments giving into emotion and complexity, the beauty and innovation, not content to copy what the ancients were able to create there are only about fifty years, the last guitar solo is characteristic of a controlled mastery. more weighted, colder too, almost melancholy; must be the voice of Amy to restore an almost festive tone to YES. The end off again on a more introspective movement. "Mirie It Is" with clean air, clear, almost magical piano and flute, comes as the latest title as there bringing an almost archaic musical research worthy of the first titles like GENESIS "stagnation"; one can feel the influence of Chick COREA, instruments giving into emotion and complexity, the beauty and innovation, not content to copy what the ancients were able to create there are only about fifty years, the last guitar solo is characteristic of a controlled mastery. more weighted, colder too, almost melancholy; must be the voice of Amy to restore an almost festive tone to YES. The end off again on a more introspective movement. "Mirie It Is" with clean air, clear, almost magical piano and flute, comes as the latest title as there bringing an almost archaic musical research worthy of the first titles like GENESIS "stagnation"; one can feel the influence of Chick COREA, instruments giving into emotion and complexity, the beauty and innovation, not content to copy what the ancients were able to create there are only about fifty years, the last guitar solo is characteristic of a controlled mastery. The end off again on a more introspective movement. "Mirie It Is" with clean air, clear, almost magical piano and flute, comes as the latest title as there bringing an almost archaic musical research worthy of the first titles like GENESIS "stagnation"; one can feel the influence of Chick COREA, instruments giving into emotion and complexity, the beauty and innovation, not content to copy what the ancients were able to create there are only about fifty years, the last guitar solo is characteristic of a controlled mastery. The end off again on a more introspective movement. "Mirie It Is" with clean air, clear, almost magical piano and flute, comes as the latest title as there bringing an almost archaic musical research worthy of the first titles like GENESIS "stagnation"; one can feel the influence of Chick COREA, instruments giving into emotion and complexity, the beauty and innovation, not content to copy what the ancients were able to create there are only about fifty years, the last guitar solo is characteristic of a controlled mastery.

There it's finished! A journey to the depths of the Cold music, one that does not let itself be tamed easily, a journey for those who still dream of dinosaurs, travel smooth as in an eclectic kind that achieves a high mastery simply . This latest album thieve'S KITCHEN is worth the trip just to remember the good time deciphering pieces.