LADY OF TURQUOISE

Some interesting spacey-psychedelic sound arrangements of some VERY simple, very traditionally constructed blues-rock and Goth-rock songs. The reviews of my previous two esteemed reviewers fail to mention the commanding vocal allure and lyrical delivery that Cary possesses that is strikingly similar to that of Siouxsie Sioux. There may even be some uncredited small debt owed in the sound palette to the Banshees (and Cure). Also agreed that Cary's lyrics and vocal delivery are the most remarkable part of this music.

CD 1 (45:33) 1. "Khepera at the Dawn" (4:08) the lead guitarist in this bluesy instrumental neither stays with the rhythmists nor with the established melody. S/he might be able to get away with it were s/he really Jimi Hendrix, but . . . Nice sound palette; next take, please. (8/10) 2. "Letterbox" (4:35) acoustic guitar turns four-chord Jeff Beck/Jimmy Page. Interesting sound palette.(8.5/10) 3. "Without a Trace" (5:50) interesting lyrics and delivery; interesting take on John Lennon's "Imagine." Dream on. (8.25/10) 4. "Into Dust" (5:21) what if Hendrix were to have played on Procul Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale" as Siouxsie Sioux crooned. In the fourth minute it tries to turn religious with church choral chant of lyric, "body and soul." (8.75/10) 5. "Afterglow" (6:11) whisper-spoken poetic lyrics over basic, sparse and spacious blues rock. Hypnotic--until the 3:10 mark when Cary and the band leap back into the here and now with convincing force. Too bad the instrumentalists wander off book (off universe) in the final two minutes--otherwise a kind of cool song in a Anne Clark kind of way. (8.75/10) 6. "Film Noir" (7:18) more Anne Clark-type of musical-poet experience. (12.5/15) 7. "Costume Jewellery" (extended version) (12:10) strummed guitars (electric & acoustic) and violin appear before drums and bass join in. After the first verse it turns into a kind of imitation of Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone from the Sun" (or else The Pink Fairies' "I Wish I Was a Girl"). (20/25)

CD 2 (46:37) 8. "Moonflowers (Fade to Black)" (6:55) (12/15) 9. "Sacrifice" (10:24) nice lead guitar work in the second half over this middle school blues rock practice jam. (16/20) 10. "Memory" (4:09) she's no Nina Hagen--despite using the chords and mood of "Der Spinner." The lead guitar in the L channel sounds like Brian May. (8/10) 11. "Castle of Dreams" (11:19) the first uptempo song on the second disc relies on a disco beat and Supertramp bouncing keyboard. The L channel guitarist wishes s/he were Robin Trower. Again, Souixsie and the Banshees and the late 1970s come to mind--even and especially the stripped down mid-section. Nice choral vocals. (16/20) 12. "The Land of Two Fields" (2:08) birds and a guitar being tuned over a KRAFTWERK sequence/loop. Turns kind of CAMEL-esque. Why isn't there more of this on the album? (4.5/5) 13. "Lady of Turquoise" (11:42) back to the post-punk, early Goth 70s. You half expect ROBERT SMITH or ROBERT JAMES to start singing. With 11 minutes of that drum and bass line, the musicians have no choice but to solo--otherwise they'd go crazy (or to sleep). Go John Hughes! (15/20)

Total Time 92:10

It feels to me as if everything on this album, song titles, lyrical phrases, instrumental sounds, rhythms and chord progressions, guitar soli, and even the vocal stylings are copies of something or someone else from rock's past--usually quite iconic things. The music is too simplistic to really be classifed as "prog" as it is more akin to the classic blues rock that was evolving parallel to the serious progressive rock pioneers--musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Randy California, Eric Clapton, Robin Trower, Frank Marino, and At times it's good, at times interesting, but mostly I find it redundant. But, then, I'm not a lyrics guy, so perhaps I'm missing something earth-shattering in the message. Otherwise, I'd heard music just as good as this from a band in my middle school. (Okay, maybe the lead guitar and lead singing are a little better here.)

C/three stars; a good collection of very standard blues-rock songs over which a talented lady sings and plays her guitar.