THE DARK THIRD

I was very surprised to notice that a lot of reviewers consider this album as one of the better prog releases of 2006. This is a very melodic album where the musical compositions are built around the vocal parts. Most vocal parts are harmonic duets from dubbed male and female voices. This gives a nostalgic feeling that reminds me of the hippy era and bands like Fleetwood Mac or the Beach Boys. The band also incorporates other more recent influences from pop bands like the Walkabouts, The dream academy or even Prefab Sprout. The mood of the music is very uplifting. The peaceful mood is interrupted by some pompous excerpts with heavy guitar chords with the sound of an orchestra underneath. I suppose this is the reason why some people like to call this music grunge. If you listen closely, you'll definitely will find some proggy elements but you really have to search for it. Only on "The bright ambassadors of morning" the band explores the style of the early seventies period of Pink Floyd and Yes. This is a good album due to the excellent melody lines and the elaborate compositions but don't expect any virtuoso musicianship or originality. This is just too cheese for me, I guess. The instrumental arrangements are far too simplified to be compelling. I suppose this album rather please fans of melodic pop/rock than those who like complex music.