HOPE

A good Art rock album, bearing similarities with Renaissance, Supertramp, ELO, Queen and Beatles influences are heard throughout the album. Mostly melodic rock, with cheerful tunes, classic music intermingled with the rock melodies, good instrumental passages, and fast changes in melodie and mood. A Fabulous album.

Side one of the album, is starts with popish melodics, with nice piano's (Renaissance/Elton John/Beatles style), and Elo type of orchestration and vocals, but the synthesisers add a little dark atmospherics into the music. A very good first half of the album.

Side two is a four part epic, starting with 'The Loneliest Of Creatures' a fabulous tune, developing from a piano opening, classical music and fabulous vocals, very uplifting, but also desperate loneliness in some parts, if the singer isn't the loneliest of people than who can he be, thus is introduced the Lighthouse keeper, the sole survivor. Great song and opening of side two. followed by 'Prelude' again symphonic classical music, very good developed, and an exciting song, a bit fanfare elements. naturally progressing to the centre piece of the epic 'So Said The Lighthouse Keeper' a soft voice introduces himself as the loneliest creature, being the lighthouse keeper, soft melodicly the music gets more intens, which leads us to the enclosure of the epic. 'Hope' The final, slowely melancholy it progresses, the final is a bit disappointing considering the beginning of the epic.

Unfortunatly Side two of the album dies a bit in the end, like they were out of inspiration, but everything up to that point is fabulous soft classical inspired rock music, so if you like Renaissance, Supertramp, ELO, and the beatles, you might like it a lot, as I do.

Recommended on the strength of the first half of the second side, great fun, but don't expect a miracle. 3,5 stars, rounded up, since I think the band deserves it.

PEACE OUT