THE GATHERING LIGHT

Ian Jones is the bassist, songwriter and the only founding member of Karnataka nowadays. After the somewhat acrimonious break up of the original group (when they were at the height of their success) he kept the band´s name and reformed it with a whole new line up. It took six full years for him & co to come up with a new album under that banner. But they did release Karnataka´s best studio album to date! This is even more surprising if you consider that the ex members have all done excellent works themselves earlier (ex singer Rachel Jones With The Reasoning and the all the others forming the brilliant Panic Room).

So, while those groups are already on their second CDs, the reborn Karnataka is debuting now with The Gathering Light. I´m glad to say that it was all worth the waiting. They made an outstading album: the music now is more symphonic and progressive compared to their previous effords. Still very melodic and accessible, but defintily more elaborated and less mellow. The new songs are much more mature, longer and bolder. The new members are as skillfull and talented as the ones they replaced, but they also have all their own musical personalities. Guitarrist Enrico Pinna is a very sensitive musician who plays with lots of emotion and fits in perfectly. Gonzalo Carrera does a great job at the keyboards too, with a minimalistic style he puts layers and layers of tasteful sounds that are perfect for the band´s sound. Lisa Fury was another great find: her voice is beautiful, and her timbre is, somewhat ironic, like a cross between former band singers Anne Marie Helder and Rachel Jones. She has her own way of delivering the message, though.

With an excellent set of songs, impeccable arrangements, and passionate perfomances, The Gathering Ligh is one of the best CDs I´ve heard this year. There is not a single weak track in the whole album. You´ll enjoy The Gathering Light from beginning to end without skipping a single note. Production is also top notch. Warning: very addictive. I got it two days ago and I just can´t stop listening to it over and over.

Conclusion: Karnataka´s break up in 2003 proved in the end to be a blessing in disguise. Now we have three outstanding bands instead of one. If you´re a fan of the band, you´ll see they have not only survived, but also improved their sound. If you had never heard of Karnataka, this is a good starting point. Melodic progressive rock at its best! 4,5 stars.