LIGHT/FLUX

Instrumental psychedelic space rock jams from this Swedish band--all fitting well into the scene that My Brother The Wind, Sula Bassana, Cosmic Ground, and even Electric Orange had been occupying.

1. "Aurora" (8:26) a pleasant psych-Kosmische style jam built exclusively around the exact guitar strumming pattern and progression of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." Very nice to listen to, stop and sway, as the sax and guitars take turns soloing. (18/20) 2. "Blood Moon" (4:46) a pretty standard blues-psych instrumental with kosmische effects that doesn't ever really get off the ground. Too monotonous. Plus, like the song before, it feels as if the foundational elements of the song have been borrowed from another time-honored song. (8.25/10)

3. "Equinox" (7:18) more psych-space jamming sounding very much like modern Kosmische Musik. Again, this one never really reaches any heights or moments to distinguish itself. (12.75/15)

4. "Decomposition" (10:32) founded on an old blues/blues-rock rhythm from the bass and drums, even the dual guitars seem to fall under the sway and spell of the blues elements. Other than a little controlled cacophony in the final two minutes, nothing very special comes out of it. (16.75/20)

5. "Tempest" (5:08) from a math rock, minimalist perspective, this is actually a fairly interesting and satisfying song. (8.75/10)

6. "First Frost (7:05) a very infectious, relaxing groove over which the guitars play. Without the presence/contributions of Søren Skov's saxophone(s) I find this song to have a much higher degree of engagement--it's like the spaciousness in the top allows one to get close--to get inside the music--and really key in on the individual guitars. There is a really cool mid-song break from 4:00 to about the five-minute mark in which the guitars are really allowed to get noticed--an effect that continues from here to the end of the song. This is by far my favorite song on the album. (13.75/15)

Total Time 43:15

Despite being a pleasant listening experience, my disappointment is rather profound that the band could find so little in the way of new or even slightly innovative ideas to express in the music on this album. Let's hope they're a more dynamic and intuitive band in the live setting (though I get the feeling that, like My Brother The Wind, these songs were all recorded from live in-the-studio performances).

B/four stars; a pleasant listening experience that I'm sure many prog lovers would enjoy adding to their music collection.