BEDSIDE MANNERS ARE EXTRA

This album was a small disappointment for me due expectations from their first album, but it allowed still some sensations of enjoyment. At their best moments, there are very tender emotions evoked from the songs of this group, even risk of banal to some listeners of harder casual music. The title song "Bedside Manners Are Extra" opens the album quietly, having some Beatles reminding tones in its sounds, along with more complex rhythmic alterations which I did not find sounding very comfortable in the song's context. Some minor melodies of the verses are the very clever and powerful, so the compositional skills are evidently present, maybe the arrangement style was something not so keen to myself. I guess the ability to enjoy this album correlates with the ability to forgive (or even enjoy) some of these elements. The absence guitar didn't bother myself, the soundwall is beautiful as it is, and these keyboard driven British bands have a special funny charm. "Pilgrim's Progress" is not a Procol Harum cover in spite of its name, opening neatly and later evolving to slightly annoying faster motives. "Time to Dream" is a decent bluesy rock tune, leading to "Drum Folk". This song starts promisingly with exiting mysterious soundscapes, but then again ventures to complexities I did not feel honoring the harmonic potential of the composition. Luckily there are good mellotron parts and some other themes which are quite fine to listen and allow one's imagination to wander. "Sunkissed You're Not" is also a little jumpy composition with some good elements, and fine jamming at the middle of it. The final track "Chalkhill" is another blues beat song with some violin too. There's some nice improvisation included, and this is a quite decent song. The features I liked here are the striking Roger Dean vinyl gatefold covers, ever charming mellotrons and the good spirit of trying. This is recommended for collectors of keyboard driven prog rock and fans of symphonic music.