THE MUSE AWAKENS

I don't know what motivated the choice of three founding members to regroup and I am often careful with these come backs. Most of the time, they are rather a deception at least for the casual listener (which I am in the case of HTM). The story is of course different for die-hard fans.

While listening to the opener, one immediately acknowledges that their hectic jazzy flavour hasn't been forgotten during all these years. But "Contemporary Insanity" is maybe an exception on this work which is quieter than usual.

The title track features average ambient music and it is only with "Stepping Through Time" that the band is capable of drawing my attention. Fine fluting in the intro, pleasant jazzy beat, complex drumming and very good synth part are a great combination which contributes all together to elevate the quality level. It is my second preferred track from this album. Emotive guitar also adds to the joyful atmosphere. A very good song.

A tranquil and cosy mood is also present in "Maui Sunset". But this repetitive instrumental is a bit too much of the same and doesn't really move me. Background music, that's all. This album would have fit better in the jazz-rock genre. It is a long succession of jazzy oriented songs which, at times, are elegant but not always. "Lunch At The Psychedelicatesse" is rather dull. Sounds as an improvised stuff and the sax solo is much too noisy.

Further on, "Slipstream" sounds more as a soundtrack piece for an animal report than anything else. And the boring feeling is growing on me.To wake up, a funky jazzy "Barking Spiders" is finally succeeding in keeping up the interest for this album. Fully Crimsonesque, it also belongs to the best parts from this album. As the quiet and smooth "Adrift".

"Shadowlites" also sounds a bit better than average, at least during the vocal section which is very nice and harmonious. I wish to have had more tracks with vocals. But this has never been a HTM characteristics. Too bad!

This album holds very little surprises. A bit too conventional, as if HTM was afraid of not pleasing their old fans. But I have to admit that the middle part of the ambient "Kindred Spirits" is magical. A guitar solo as Carlos would have been able to release. But it is too short to bring this track to the next level.

IMO, the best affair here is "Il Quinto Mare". Several theme changes, upbeat music sometimes, powerful organ play and strong riff are the ingredients. It really breaks with the global feeling of this uniform album although the finale renews with the overall tranquility of this work.

IMO, their early albums (up to Crafty) were more interesting. I can't really tell that this album is a bad one nor a good one. Average. Five out of ten.

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