DEAD BEES ON A CAKE

Another excellent album from David Sylvian, "Dead Bees on a Cake" came in 1999 after almost 6 years of break. 70 minutes of music composed for a single disc album may be too much - indeed it is almost a length of a double album. But once you get it listening you will not notice that.

Sylvian returns with a rock song format, although this "rock" element must be broadly interpreted. Mainly this means that classic rock instrumentation is used with strong albeit rather slow beat. String arrangements, flutes and trumpet expands the music onto the prog-rock territory, but it is done in a more post-rock fashion than in a classic 1970s manner.

"Midnight Sun" and "Godman" contain dirty, "drunken" sound of guitar and odd percussions reminiscent of Tom Waits. However, Sylvian is simply brilliant in his lyrically tinged soft ballads like the phenomenal opener "I Surrender", "Thalheim" with some nice guitar solos, an ethnic-ambient-Indo-prog piece "Krishna Blue" or a gentle "Cafe Europa". Instrumental "All of My Mothers Names" revokes his earlier avant-jazz improvisations containing aggressive guitar sounds.

Sylvian's music is not for new-comers to the world of Prog. It requires patience, time and commitment. And of course a long experience of listening to diverse music styles. But, don't let it put you off at first moment. Repeated hearing opens up a magical and beautiful world of this "artistic" rock performer. Highly recommended album to any prog/art/post rock lover.