ALONE

I'm shocked that neither the band description nor any of the reviews note what is without question Clepsydra's biggest influence: Yes - especially 90125 and later. Indeed, Maggini's phrasing is spot-on Jon Anderson, and even his voice, while slightly lower in pitch (and with that cool Italian accent...), is very close. [N.B. What is strange about this is that the other major influence, as noted in the band description, is Marillion. And although almost every Marillion-influenced band is likely to have some Genesis in it, Clepsydra unwittingly "points out" the Yes influence in Marillion.] / Although it is true that this album is somewhat "bombastic" in nature, it is remarkably enjoyable. And although the album is not (as far as I know) a "concept" album, almost all the songs segue into each other. "Tuesday Night" sets the "tone" of the album, with heavy keyboards and bass, solid prog drumming, soaring guitars, and Maggini's excellent vocals. Indeed, although some of the songs are somewhat less "compelling," it is Maggini's vocals that hold the album together. "Travel of Dream" is a fabulous suite, full of great prog bits. "The Return" is another standout, and possibly my favorite track. "The Father" has a slightly Floydian quality (including an echo voice), moving into the most Genesis-like section on the album. "Alone" begins in mildly Genesis style, moving into a more Yes-like approach. [N.B. This is yet another album - maybe the fifth or sixth I've reviewed - on which the Genesis influence is from the W&W/ATTWT period. It continues to amaze me how influential those two albums were on Genesis-influenced neo-prog.] "The Nest" and "God or Beggar" are both good tracks. "End of Tuesday" closes the album as it began, with a heavy, "bombastic" quality that is nonetheless good. / I admit to being somewhat conservative in my rating: I would have liked to have given the album three-and-a-half stars. Is it derivative? Yup. But it is also an exceptionally well-crafted and thoroughly enjoyable album. In sum, this is really good stuff for neo-prog, and eminently listenable if you don't mind a little bombast with your prog.