THE BIG ROOM

Don't know for other albums of that band but I ain't sure I'll ever want to. Here we have usual stright-forward pop-rock, very average and even not catchy (a major flaw!). They don't play complex timing (except for one 9/8 in q onr song - they just play 4/4 and make a pause) or big epics (the longest song here is 7 min long and features some tempo changing...that's it). I've always been a fan of poppish Neo a-la Menel's IQ or early PENDRAGON, but this is too much! One can't tell FOR ABSENT FRIENDS from BON JOVI-like band!

Don't be fooled by the name. Not recommended even for die-hard Neo-proggers. To be honest, not recommended even for Non-prog lovers.

But my memory didn't serve me well I'm afraid.

This work is pretty boring. Only one song is worth your attention. The title track, which is the longest song here, features some very good theme changes, a more complex texture than usual and a great guitar solo at the end of the song. A highlight (a rare bird on this album).

Apart from this one, nothing else than uninspired music. Indeed popish but with a complete absence of a single catchy melody ("Silly Love Song", "If Love".). The latter being really painful. Poor of me!

Some heavier sounds than before as well during the AOR-ish "Giving Up". But the general feeling while listening to the naive rock ballad "Little Things" is dulness. Just to mention another positive comment, I admit that the guitar sounds nice during this song.

What comes next is not brilliant. "Higher Level", is not properly titled IMO. "Lower Level" should have been more appropriate. And since the band gently ask "Don't Hurt Me", I won't do it but I can tell you that this funky tune is one of their worse ever.

The good point about "The One" is that it is the closing number and that I have been through the whole of this album with little damages (since it is not a long one.).

One star.