GLASS SHADOWS

With their latest release Mostly Autumn both return to doing what they do best, and venture gently into new territories. Following on from their disappointing Heart Full of Sky, complete with band members leaving, fans split in their tastes etc, MA have returned to their roots as an English progressive folk band, rather than trying to become the new Deep Purple. In doing so, and by limiting the writing to the creative duo of Bryan Josh and Heather Findlay, they have tapped back into that pastoral beauty associated with their earlier music. Featuring traditional folk instruments again, and folk melodies, means that the album now flows gently but beautifully from beginning to end. That's not to say that the CD is just re-treading old ground. Opening track Fireside features a wonderfully looping riff that proves MA can rock brilliantly, from there though the pace drops and the passion climbs as Bryan sings The Second Hand. The rest of the album features the mixture of folk and rock that long-time fans love so much, from the Karen Carpenter tones of Above The Blue, the jaunty lilt of Flowers For Guns reminding of summer music from the sixties, to the progressive tones of title track Glass Shadows. As a writer for Powerplay Magazine I slated MA for Heart Full of Sky, saying that the band needed to decide what they wanted to be, on the basis of this album I think they've made the right decision. It may be early in the year but I know this will be featuring come the end of year Best Of lists.