SIMON AYRES

— First review of this album —

Apparently Ayres has much more written material than the tracks included in his ''Dreamoid'' debut.And that's because the following month he put his second work ''Woolli secundus'' on the bandcamp streaming and download lines.He stated that most of this stuff was composed around summer 2012.

I am afraid though that at least the first few pieces are horrible homestudio productions with the programmed sounds covering the natural ones, while Ayres was heading for some straighter rock parts during these cuts, mostly coming as an amalgam of THIN LIZZY, DIRE STRAITS and organ-washed Psych Rock, but the result has nothing to do with the lovely sound of these classic bands.Synthetic keyboards, sampled strings, awful drum programming and lack of deep, personal inspiration overpower any attempt on decent melodies by the British multi-instrumentalist.As the album unfolds things can only get better, albeit far from essential.The longer tracks show a return by Ayres to his progressive roots and display influences from CAMEL (smooth, melodic guitar plays and melodious textures) and PENDRAGON (semi-symphonic work on organ and synthesizer), while there are plenty of nice keyboard lines and dramatic overtones in his mainly instrumental pieces.There are even a couple of tracks with some sampled Mellotron and church organ for a more vintage listening experience, man, these pieces could have been really cool with a more professional production.The dull drumming parts remain steady, but the ideas have become more tight and intricate with plenty of grandiose moments.

An inconsistent release as a whole.Skip the first three pieces and focus on the later parts of this effort, which are likely to please fans of melodic, symphonic-oriented Progressive Rock...2.5 stars.

''You are never old ro rock'' is the moto of Simon Ayres, a middle-aged musician, based in St Albans, Hertfordshire in UK.He cites Yes, Focus and Camel as his main Progressive Rock influences and in October 2012 he released his first digital album ''Dreamoid'', available for download on Bandcamp.Needless to say Ayres is responsible for the whole instrumental music in this album.

Ayres proposes a melodic, instrumental Progressive Rock and his aforementioned influences can be detected all over the album.The main though seems to be CAMEL, as his guitar moves and melodies contain evident traces of ANDY LATIMER's style.He supports his guitar work with an interesting array of synths and strong Hammond organ vibes (on the superb 'Way Back When'' appears even something that could be a sample Mellotron) , thus offering often a vintage aura to the listener.The nine instrumental tracks are well-arranged with minor complexities and a nice sense of melody, often with a bluesy and jazzy taste, delivering insteresting passages with a decent composition level.The questionable bass lines and the rather poor drum programming do not help this effort to escape the levels of amateur recordings.On the other hand the tight guitar exercises and the fine keyboard parts prevent it from being a bad release and the atmosphere alternates between pleasant soundscapes and more ethereal textures.

For what it is, ''Dreamoid'' is a very good work.All lovers of melodic and easy-listening Progressive Rock should give this album a spin.Just do not expect super-crystalline productions, bombastic movements or complex breaks.Recommended.