HOMELESS SOUL

This band comes from Moscow, it was founded in 1997 by sisters Elena and Tatyana Kanevskaya, who have also written all music on this fourth album (my introduction to them). While there are a lot of female fronted neo prog groups, especially in England and Poland, it seems to be all too rare to find one that's sovereignly led by women.

Three members of this quartet are multi- instrumentalists and have produced the album together. The fourth one concentrates on drums and percussion -- and is excellent at that. Both ladies play keyboards, Elena is also the main vocalist and Tatyana plays primarily guitars. The keys-oriented sound is truly finely produced, it is clear, spatial and full of dynamics.

The brief opening track begins with echoed a cappella vocals, the synth background gradually growing. I like the female vocals that are relatively deep and strong. I have no good reference in mind, perhaps it's something like Alannah Myles with a folky hint of Lena Willemark? 'Eternal Wanderer' with an emphasis on chorus is clearly the song that most sticks to the listener's mind, whether it's a good or a bad thing. The third track is a powerful and proggy near-instrumental. Imagine Rush teaming with, say, Jordan Rudess. Oh yes, if you thought that women make only music that's sensitive, emotional, mellow, etc., this band widens your horizon.

'The Cradle of a Hurricane' is an intense prog instrumental with a metallic edge, and it's followed by poppier and softer 'I Wanna Give My Love for You'. Dmitry Shtatnov throws in some sitar! In fact this hour- long album is so diverse and eclectic in its wide spectre between accessible pop and psychedelically flavoured prog intensity that Neo Prog label is an understatement.

Spacey instrumental 'In Search of the Antiworld' may be fave track. I'm not fond of 'Homeless Soul' featuring the (treated) main vocals of Dmitry, but as a whole this is such an exciting, original and well made album.