RAISING THE SKELETONS OF FIRE BY HAND

This is a follow-up to the 2005 "PROJECT" album Name Stolen. A bit confusing band history really, and their debut - unfamiliar to me - is altogether missing here. Again, this oddly named album succeeds very well in sounding like obscure psych-oriented, PINK FLOYD influenced Krautrock from the 70's. Even more so this time, since the production is further from modern standards. A devoted Psych fan may take it as a positive thing, but I think the sound is a bit too blurred. The bigger difference concerns the vocals: whereas Name Stolen features both theatrical narration and cool-sounding vocal harmonies, this one's more instruentally oriented and the scarce vocals are strangely hazy, unfocused, colourless, nearly unmelodic as well.

The compositions are mostly lengthy and hurriless, not very melodic, concentrating on the pychedelic haze. Guitars and strong bass dominate, and Hammond hovers in the background, but occasionally a flute or a Moog make refreshing appearances. In that sense the highlights are the VdGG-spirited 'Procession Forms' with its flute parts and 'A Passage to the Court Prevails'. All in all, the 70-minute album feels too directionless for its own good.

The last tack is nearly 26 minutes in total, but in the middle there's a 2+ minute silence, followed by some sort of a hidden track. Actually I find it to be the most intriguing piece, in which a low-key voice of a train passenger half-whispers his dystopian story set in the future, backed by a ghostly synth soundscape. Sure, if you're deeply interested in the more obscure German bands of the 70's (the stuff re-issued on the Garden of Delights label), the Finnish PPRY may offer you an unexpected retro delight. To me however, Name Stolen works clearly better.