CITY BETWEEN TWO SEAS

City Between Two Seas showcases Pascal van den Dool as a promising composer. It's a cross between almost entirely progressive song structures (ABCDEFG, etc., rather than something more repetetive) and orchestral/symphonic inspired arrangements that bring a grace and balance to the work. The first piece, "On Earth," is pristinely lovely and surprising at many turns. Unlike the heavy-handed use of seething synth leads common in prog, this artist chooses attention to subtle detail and layered soft synths that slowly rise into ethereal beauty. Its elegance sounds entirely natural despite the complexity of the piece. These qualities foreshadow the rest of the album, but surprises abound as well. "Rose," for example, is a brief departure leaning more toward the world of folk music, though it still retains that ethereal quality - and "Not Me" features some highly expressive piano work. Pascal's singing and vocal effects are singular to him and assist in generating a unique texture - a blend of classical western musical style and prog rock composition, the synthesis of which may have been undermined by intrusive vocals.

This work is not without its faults, which are primarily in the mixing. There are several sudden ramps in volume which are too loud compared to the average volume of the songs (seems like a mastering issue). Occasionally, a midi sound is too obviously artificial, or too cutting. And it is unfortunately difficult to distinguish the lyrics when listening - a lyric sheet is strongly recommended. However, these minor problems pale beside the quality of the composition, musicianship, and genuinely emotive nature of the sound.