LIVE AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE

Like the Old Testament Israelis waiting for their Messiah to come, prog fans from the 70s have been waiting for a band to emerge as successor to the greats of that era. This is unquestionably that band. Ironic that they come from the city I live in and that I had never heard of them until I started visiting this site. The press ignore them almost completely; their hometown gigs attract little publicity but mysteriously sell out without fail. Listening to this CD, recorded live in York, it's easy to see why. They have a female vocalist in Heather Findlay who compares to the best, Iain Jennings is an accomplished keyboards player and Bryan Josh is a fine guitarist in the mould of Gilmour and Latimer; melodic first and foremost. Add a fine flute player in Angela Goldthorpe and a very good rhythm section and second guitarist and you have a band that lacks nothing but on this CD they are augmented by Troy Donockley, who contributes pipes, whistles and some searing electric guitar. Musically they are like a cross between Pink Floyd, Camel and Renaissance with Celtic elements thrown in; they are influenced by these bands but not clones and have their own character. They are not afraid to perform 15 minute epics, either.

The songs on this album have been criticised by some for veering from their earlier, more folky material. Since I haven't heard that yet, I must judge as I find and I find this album to be excellent; one of the best live albums I've ever heard. The interplay between the instruments is excellent, especially on Caught in a Fold, Dark Before Dawn and Bitterness Burnt. If the Passengers album was disappointing to some, I love all the songs off it on this album. In fact I love this whole album - every note, every word. Criticisms? Bryan Josh's singing isn't quite spot on at the start, though he warms up, and one or two vocal harmonies go a bit wrong but that's it. To put the material in perspective, the worst track on here is a cover of Comfortably Numb (which they perform better than Pink Floyd do). The hype says that they may be the new Pink Floyd; I don't know if that's true but they are the first Mostly Autumn and that's a pretty good thing to be. 5* and if you haven't got this, you're a loser with a capital L.

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