TICKET TO EVERYWHERE

The jazz fusion line of work that had been subtly enhanced in SFF's second album was explored further in "Ticket to Everywhere", their third and last studio effort. This factor comes together with a bigger dose of delicateness in the performances and a more obvious accessibility in the compositions: therefore, it is no surprise that the melodic lines now tend to be more clearly recognizable and the progressive complexity is partially lost. Although it would be more accurate to say that it is not the complexity but the intensity what is decreased. The band's overall sound, therefore, tends to be less explosive and becomes kinder, more laid-back, even catchier. Both the namesake track and 'Song from India' show some clear hints to the candour of funky, while 'Spain Span Spanish' brings a jazz-fusion ambience with a Flamenco-like orientation. But this is still well-crafted symphonic prog, with 'Open Doors' and 'Slow Motion' being the most prominent numbers in the album: these tracks sound to me a bit close to post-Hackett Genesis-meets-"Stratosfear" TD - that is, elegant and richly adorned music, based on the elaboration of pleasant moods and evocations, and with a notable presence of synth layers and orchestrations. The closure 'Folk n' Roll' is a playful showcase for the mixture of jazz-rock and Celtic stuff. All in all, one should consider that this album is full of the lyricism that was to become the main pattern for the duo Fürhs and Fröhling, the offshoot that came to life immediately after the demise of SFF. While not being a monster album, it still should be considered as a beautiful musical work: it is obvious that all three musicians' interplays remain fresh and energetic, skillfully delivering the renewed sound that by then they were pursuing. 3 ½ to 4 stars for SFF's swansong album.