HYDROPHONIA

Roine Stolt's second solo album sees a slight decrease in the amount of guitar and a marked increase in saxophone. Whether or not Roine was pushing for a more jazzy sound, he definitely achieved it here. Like 'The Flower King', the melodies and arrangements are superb.

I would say while there is nothing here that is over-the-top amazing, there are definitely no weak tracks either. My personal ratings of the tracks are as follows: Cosmic Lodge (10/10), Shipbuilding (8/10), Little Cottage By the Sea (6/10), Wreck of the HMS Nemesis (9/10), Bizarre Seahorse Sex Attack (8/10), Nuclear Nemo (9/10), Hydrophonia (9/10), Lobsterland Groove (7/10), Seafood Kitchen Thing (9/10)

Overall, don't let the silly names confuse you! This is an amazing album and marks Roine at the top of his game.

8/10