THE SUN KING

'Sometimes in the morning, when I take a shower, that's when I start recalling the things the day before ...' eh, it smells like having some simple everyday experiences from now on. But that's not the case here, definitely. Song structure meets jamming. This album is offering a somewhat quirky, unusual, yet very original behaviour. Yeah, that's exactly what I'm looking for, I'm fond of. The entire flow, Jon Camp's awesome fretless bass again and again. Odd moments, 100% deliberated, I'm sure. Or the improv appeal, especially when following the last three tracks. Partially it's also reminiscent of Caravan. Not only due to Robert Webb's voice, which is coming close to Richard Sinclair here and there. And so one can say that the new album delivers a melting pot of inspiration actually. Since the beginning of this century United Kingdom based multi-instrumentalist Chris Gill is the key factor when it comes to the development of this band.

That said some albums even are solo efforts more or less, but here again we have a complete BAND OF RAIN in action. 'The Sun King' is an eclectic album, brimful of noteworthy impressions. I mean, who really would expect a harmonica appearing in between, like it is on the opener Distant Land? And then '... a wily crow shone his eye down on me ...' - As The Crow Flies shines with lyrics and irresistible refrains that are forcing to sing along in one way or another. Due to the title track the band goes intensively symphonic. And after that, all brakes are released now at the latest. They let it all free flow with so much ease, it's simply fantastic. '... sometimes in the evening when I go to sleep, I think about the morning, which memories to keep ...'

There have been some more changes in the Band of Rain camp since 2020's 'Petrichor', which in itself, had seen some major moves. Chris Gill is still there of course, on guitars and keyboards, as is Jon Camp (Renaissance) on bass, but while Robert Webb (England) is still on keyboards, he has also now taken on the role of lead vocals as Matthew Corry is no longer involved and we have a new drummer in Zsolt Galantai and Michael Steinbacher has joined to provide saxophones and flute. I have followed Chris's career all the way from 2004's 'Deep Space' and is strange to hear him taking such a backseat in a band which was originally a vehicle just for his multi-instrumental talents.

Jon's fretless bass is very much a key component of the overall sound, and it is his versatility which provides much of the melodic lead, while the vocals also have a hugely important part to play in a band which is now much more firmly into psychedelic prog or Canterbury than the style which I had become used to. Although Chris has kept the name, this is not what I have come to expect from Band of Rain, and while he is obviously content to now be playing in a band and letting others take the strain, it does not really feel like BoR to me. Putting that to one side, is this a good album? I think the answer must be that it is good but not great, as I am not a massive fan of Webb's vocals, and there are times when the songs appear to be waiting for the next flash of inspiration. Mind you, when Camp decides to be front and centre his bass playing is nothing short of sensational. It is an album with plenty of ups and downs and while enjoyable it is certainly not essential.