A PLACE IN THE QUEUE

More modern progressive rock. And more quality, that is. Once again I hear so many influences that it's hard to keep them all in mind. Personally, I hear much less Canterbury than some. Could be this release, or just my limited exposure to the sub-genre. I do hear a lot of Jethro Tull shining through, though. And I'm not talking about the obvious flute, no no, the heavy symphonic bursts and quirky melody is what comes to mind. Could be this release, or just my unhealthy exposure to Tull.

At first I didn't like this effort. Mainly due to Andy Tillison's voice, but also that the band don't seem to uphold the same musical quality during the vocal/lyrics part. It turns into some kind of easy listening territory I'm not overly keen to explore. Writing this, I have no problem whatsoever with Andy Tillison's voice. But the latter criticism remains. It's not present on every song, not even during all vocal segments of a song, but ultimately it's what will keep me from awarding this album five stars.

It is a distinctly British piece of music. I really can't put my finger on why, but I know it is. I just feel it is.

When it comes to the musical aspects of the album, it can only be described with one word: flawless. Obviously a group of very talented musicians at work here. Organ and keys are very present together with the bass, but it's really the mixture and arrangements of all the different instruments together that makes this so great. I just love the flute. Here it serves its purpose by augmenting the music, lifting it up to higher levels, The best example of this can be found in Lost in London, a nice jazzed-up song, set in that elusive reflective, British mood.

If you like lyrics, those found here should make you happy. It's about society. Heavy stuff, not to be taken lightly, and yes, very enjoyable. Thought-provoking. Andy Tillison shows that he's an excellent lyricist, as well as an accomplished songwriter. Fantastic structure, mood, surprise and consistency. All the ingredients we crave to label this good music.

Recommended for all fans of symphonic-eclectic progressive rock. Again, this isn't for the minimalist. Bombastic, layered, multi-instrumented music. If you like this, you'll probably like A Place In The Queue.

//Linus W