ENGLISH ELECTRIC (PART ONE)

Is this just another Genesis rip off? Not! While you might think that this is just another Genesis sound- alike, it is definitely not. It certainly does have some elements that are reminiscent of Genesis, and the lead vocal does have a lot in common with Peter Gabriel. Actually, I find more of a Peter Gabriel solo influence than old Genesis. No matter what, this band brings a fresh creativity and energy to this sometimes overly explored style. There is a lot of refreshing energy throughout the album to offset some relatively complex compositions.

The backup vocals are excellent. The accompanying instrumentation is delightful providing the full range of what you would expect from a first class British Progressive Rock band with this perigee of musicians. The song writing is simply superior. The fusion of various styles such as symphonic prog (Genesis /Gabriel influence), English Folk, jazz fusion, Canterbury, and definitely some unique contributions is outstanding.

This is a perfect blend of memorable moments of nostalgic moments with some of the best that the current modern progressive scene has to offer.

The original rendition of this band, which has always seemed to have been lacking an elusive element is completed with the addition of X-Spock's Beard Drummer to create one heck of an excellent Super Group. I rank English Electric as the best release of 2012.

I am not going to do a track by track review as technically speaking a lot of others have done a great job of just that and so I simply give this a 5/5.