WINDOWS

TAI PHONG's sophomore release shares surface commonality with their stunning debut but fails to connect as much on an emotional level. Perhaps the band members themselves were not quite as enthusiastic as they had been, or perhaps the album was just rushed out too quickly in an attempt to capitalize on their surprise success.

The opening cut "When it's the Season" is marked by nimbly inventive lead guitar work as well as some colourful acoustic splashes, and, while recognizable as Tai Phong, does cover new ground in a quasi-improvisational fashion. "St John's Avenue" is far closer to their standard "formula", with mellotron washes and high pitched vocal exercises, and, while it's quite lovely, it doesn't soar like, say, "Fields of Gold". The other long tracks are similarly impressive sounding, but ultimately, like bonus tracks from the earlier album, missing the compositional intellect to match their loveliness. However, those who prefer a little less structure might be more drawn to "Windows", as long as they are not expecting MAGMA! As far as the two short pieces that appear one per side, let's just say there was a long line of "Sister Jane" wannabes from Tai Phong.

Thru "Windows" we catch glimpses of earlier achievements, but, as with real windows, it's about the treatments and the clarity of the view. Still good for 3 stars, with variability depending on your own perspective.