SHANGRI-LA

The first piece New Shangri-La starts with beautiful acoustic guitar, then a fluent rhythm with a tight beat an sensitive guitar work that reminds me of neo-prog band IQ and Pendragon, worked out very tasteful and melodic. Before you could get the idea that this is just another fine but obviously IQ/Pendragon inspired band, Brother Ape surprised you with varied songs that sound very pleasant: from dreamy with wonderful acoustic guitar play in Umbrellas, Beams (including a strong electric guitar solo), Monasteries Of Meteora and A Reason To Wake (delicate piano) to powerful and bombastic in Lunatic Kingdom (harder-edged guitar riffs and flowing guitarplay) and Inside You (fiery and howling guitar licks). The track I'll Be Going starts in the vein of Eighties Rush but suddenly the atmosphere becomes mellow with a spacey synthesizer solo. In the instrumental Tweakhead the strong guitar work has echoes from Allan Holdsworth, another composition that prooves the fine compositional skills by Brother Ape. My highlight on this CD is the final song, a short one but very elaborate and varied: first twanging acoustic guitars and soaring keyboards, then a mid-Genesis like beautiful piece with a great keyboard and guitar sound and finally mellow acoustic guitars.

A wonderful album, full of harmony and melody and with lots of variation and pleasant climates!

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