ONE NITER

A wonderfully inventive slice of Austrian symphonic prog, 'One Niter' is in fact the second full- length studio album from the oddly-monikered Eela Craig. Released in 1976, a full five years after their self-titled debut, 'One Niter' is a step-up in class over it's predecessor in just about every way possible, showcasing a talented group who obviously have a penchant for 1970's Pink Floyd, 'Wind & Wuthering'-era Genesis and German symphonic rockers Grobschnitt. The album is mainly instrumental, featuring several lengthy tracks that are helpfully split into several concisely-labelled and easily-identifiable sections, with polished keyboards, soaring guitars, shrill flutes and glossy synthesizers coating 'One Niter' in a slick melodic glaze. What vocals there are fit nicely, with singer Hubert Bognermeyr(who also doubles on keyboards) singing in a high-tempo, Jon Anderson-ish pitch, but in reality it is the wonderfully-layered, lushly-realised sound the group achieve that makes 'One Niter' so enjoyable. The influences may be obvious, but Eela Craigs' fulsome sound is not, and nor is it derivative, instead fusing carefully-selected prog ingredients with tasteful aplomb and instrumental verve. To pick a favourite track is, for this reviewer at least, a very difficult task. 'One Niter' is one of those rare beasts that can be listened to all the way through without the need to skip various tracks, with each piece segueing delicately - and, at times, brilliantly - into the next carefully constructed section. Austria may not be known for it's progressive rock, but in Eela Craig at least, they have yet another example of the pure originality and beauty to be found in the European end of the genre. A highly impressive symphonic album. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010