STRAIGHT CIRCLES

Born two days after me, this Israeli artist is further evidence that August, 1983 was a good month for the birth of excellent progressive rock musicians. Even though the album is full of instrumentals, the titles seem to reflect the mood of the piece. "Happy Nightmares" for instance juxtaposes despondent piano with uplifting and even exciting passages. While this album is fantastic, what keeps it from competing with the masterpieces is the fact that all of the pieces are very similar to one another despite plenty of variation within themselves.

"Devotion" Full of ambient builds and a blend of electronic sounds and heavy guitar, the opener is a mere snapshot of what this artist is capable of. The interplay of keyboard instruments, notably the piano and synthesizer, are a sophisticated way to begin so fine an album.

"Kids Stuff" Opening with the sound of children having a good time and the skilled work of fusion drummer Yatziv Caspi, this piece includes playful electric piano and quirky synthesizer. This brief piece makes me think all the best parts of Yes's Tormato were pulled apart and arranged for one energetic instrumental.

"Mirage" Here, the artist mixes Eastern influences with a modern progressive rock sensibility and beautiful piano. The synthesizer solo is reminiscent of much of Jordan Rudess's lead work in Dream Theater's Scenes From a Memory, which is to say, it is hard to distinguish from a lead guitarist shredding away. This track is loaded with energy and spectacular drumming.

"Happy Nightmare" Melancholic piano similar to what can be found in a modern Porcupine Tree song dominates the first section of this otherwise grooving piece. After the two-minute mark, the piano takes an even more dominant role, but shortly thereafter, the heaviest part of the piece begins, with more Rudess-like soloing. The final section takes the listener through a more electronic-laced sound with a funky, R&B rhythm.

"Sick Groove" The name implies what this is- a funk-laden romp through various electronic textures. Despite the energy and obvious skill, this is my least favorite track on the album, only because it does not register as anything I would prefer to hear many more times.

"Straight Circles" The title track, however, is probably the best thing here. Not only is it arguably his best work, it is his most progressive, featuring a variety of textures and segments. The delicate piano works against the heavy guitar. His best synthesizer tone is present, layered with other instrumentation. Several aspects of this piece remind me of Kerry Livgren's One of Several Possible Musiks.

"Heat" Slightly mellower, this track is tight and, as usual, showcases the author's exquisite and finely honed keyboard skills. The piano stands out again, serving as the main thread through the whole elaborate tapestry.

"Epilogue" The last track consists of heavy guitar, lovely piano, and less elaborate synthesizer work. It's far noisier than the rest of the offerings here, but that doesn't keep it from being a great way to end the album.