2ND HANDS

It looks like the tendency of doing Prog Rock is to mix or fusion as many styles and genres as possible. This is a good example. To be honest with you, if I had rated this album a few listens before probably I would've been the first one to give it less than 3 stars. Fortunately I usually don't review albums without giving them at least a dozen spins. This doesn't mean that the music is extremely odd; it is complex but is actually accessible. The problem that I saw at first is that the album itself was too ambiguous, with too little cohesion.

I still think that now to a certain extent, but the quality of the more structured and creative parts surpass the slight lack of identity. I´m saying this because you can easily think that the first song is performed by a different artist than the second or the fifth. This is not exactly a bad thing, as matter of fact, most of Prog aficionados are looking for variety and complexity in the music, and if is there something that we have to highlight about these guys, is the wide use (sometimes abuse) of musical genres totally different one from each other.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the music now. It has excellent compositions and great moments all along the album and the musicians show a high technical skill and theproduction is superb. I just would've liked that all the record had stayed in a lesser stretch of influences, not too much, just some parts that I consider unnecessary like those reggae riffs in "Querr Forrest" or some very pop moments in a couple of songs. Please note that I like some good pop music, but seeing what these guys are capable of, I would've liked more of their jazzy/heavy /symphonic prog.

Of course we are talking about their debut album, so I'm positive that we haven't heard anything yet. I think their forthcoming releases will bring us lot of satisfaction and great musical delight, especially if they manage to improve songs like "The Inexpressible Chagrin" and keep doing things like "Syx" and the excellent epic "Marvelous Choice".

My actual rate is 3.5 stars.

Viva el Prog!

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