RAINCHILD

Just a year after the excellent ''The storm inside'',Dutch band LIKE WENDY comes back with a second release entitled ''Rainchild''.Same label,same line-up for this prog duo with founder,multi-instrumentalist and composer Bert Heinen handling all instruments except drums and some keyboards,handled by Marien.

''Rainchild'' marks no improvements or radical changes regarding the band's sound and actually that is a good thing.A full hour of Neo/Symphonic Prog music based on haunting atmospheres,slow spacey moments and a lyrical intensity.Heinen prooves to be an excellent composer,all tracks are of the highest quality with nice organ passages throughout,symphonic keyboars in the vein of COLLAGE and melodic guitar parts,not far from PINK FLOYD or early MARILLION.Vocals are even better than on the first release,more expressive,more dramatic and with Heinen trying to adapt a more personal style of singing.The final impression is more than posItive,especially when thinking that a single person can compose two splendid back-to-back works in such a short time.

For Neo Prog fans,please allow me to call this a masterpiece.But again if you like your prog music full of deep atmospheres and trippy soundscapes with an ultra-strong melodic content,you should simply dig this one out...4 solid stars.