MISPLACED CHILDHOOD

1. "Pseudo Silk Kimono" (2:13) great vocal but those keyboard strings are so dated! (4/5)

2. "Kayleigh" (4:03) I always liked this song despite its pop formula. (8.5/10)

3. "Lavender" (2:27) love the way this one builds. (8.75/10)

4. "Bitter Suite" (5:53) great instrumental intro with Hackett-like guitar leads into Andy Summers texture behind Fish's narrated story prep. Then we transition into a rumba-like dance groove for an excellent Rothery solo (maybe the first one I've ever been impressed by). A little bit borrowed from "As Sure Is Eggs Is Eggs" for the next section (which I was expecting to be the song's finale). The final slowed down/softened section is curious--how it belongs--and why it bleeds/feeds directly into the next suite is a mystery to me. (9.25/10) - I. Brief Encounter - II. Lost Weekend - III. Blue Angel - IV. Misplaced Rendez-vous - V. Windswept Thumb

5. "Heart Of Lothian" (6:02) Really! Getting excited about singing about "wide boys"?!?! The continuous wailing of Rothery's guitar feels quite at conflict with Fish's impassioned vocal. They may be expressing their passion about the same thing, in different ways, but it's like putting apples with onions. (8.25/10) - I. Wide Boy - II. Curtain Call

6. "Waterhole (Expresso Bongo)" (2:12) interesting drum & percussion. Glad to have that guitar in the background: This mix works! Nice dynamic music--and appropriate vocal/lyric. (4.75/5)

7. "Lords Of The Backstage" (1:52) Not up to the rest. (4.25/5)

8. "Blind Curve" (9:29) a very well constructed/designed prog epic that helps me see, for perhaps the first time, this band's own unique vision. The talents and personalities still seem very built upon the members of GENESIS, but they've finally come up with a song that, for the most part, feels as if they might be breaking free of the themes and motifs of their inspirateurs. (17.75/20) - I. Vocal Under A Bloodlight - II. Passing Strangers - III. Mylo - IV. Perimeter Walk - V. Threshold

9. "Childhoods End?" (4:32) What?! Where's the prog? (8/10)

10. White Feather (2:23) Oh, good! They found a little more prog (though there's a little FLOCK OF SEAGULLS/early SIMPLE MINDS in here as well) (4.25/5)

Total Time: 41:05

I like the flow and connectivity of the album (after "Kayleigh") and the rhythm tracks are outstanding but the guitar play and vocal performances are often a bit incongruous with the music--which makes me wonder if, at times, the band members are all on the same page; how much tension was there within the band at this time? Even so, the sound engineering is definitely a step up from their debut album (I can hear everything!)

B/four stars; an excellent Neo Prog contribution to Prog World.

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