ONE FOR SORROW, TWO FOR JOY

The fifth album from Thieves' Kitchen finds them further exploring the jazzy symphonic fusion feel that marked their previous gem, 'The Water Road', and, like previous albums, 'One For Joy, Two For Sorrow' has a personality of its own. The flute adds a lot to these fine compositions, particular in the concluding opus, 'Of Sparks and Spires', and my favorite track, 'Hypatia', which I think is a fantastic piece of music, marked my great melodies, superb composition, and lovely vocals. 'Deor' comes in very strong as well, but the chorus might be repeated a time too many, so that by the end of the song I wasn't quite as enamored as I was during the first half of the song. 'Germander Speedwell' is another great track, featuring acoustic guitar, and reminding me a bit of 'Cirrus Bay'. 'The Weaver' is the one short track, a pretty acoustic piece that is growing on me, and 'A Fool's Journey' is a heavier piece, reminiscient of their earlier music. Overall, an excellent album throughout, with a whole lot more to offer than most of today's music, even among the prog world. 4 1/2 stars.