EDUARDO BORT

This album just shot up into my top ten favourite records from Spain. Eduardo is an incredible guitar player and maybe even a better singer. Sure he's far from perfect but man he lets it all out. He screams, he uses wordless vocals and everything in between. You could say he also does this with his guitar, playing different styles and using both electric and acoustic on a regular basis. Keyboards consist of piano, organ, synths and mellotron. Mellotron on side two only coincidently. We get folky stuff, symphonic, psychedelic and straight up rock. The flute is a nice touch as well.

The album opens with "Thoughts Pt. 1" with that beautiful sounding acoustic guitar as vocals arrive with bass and drums in tow. It all becomes dramatic after 1 1/2 minutes especially those vocals. Contrasts will continue. "Thoughts Pt. 2" is a top three track for me. We get this uptempo strummed guitar that sounds really good before a calm arrives with vocals. Some backing vocals too then just like the opener we get hit hard at 1 1/2 minutes. Electric guitar, bass and drums create some power. Contrasts continue.

"Walking On The Grass" is the song I'd recommend any Prog fan to check out. It's a proggy tune with some killer electric guitar. It sure opens in a mellow way with that flute, acoustic guitar and bass. Vocals join in and they are reserved. It turns psychedelic before 2 minutes with those spacey vocal arrangements. Check out the guitar before 3 minutes then it all gets amped up at 3 1/2 minutes. Vocals are so good along with the bass. It settles right down at 4 1/2 minutes as we get a darker and more serious sound. When the vocals step aside we get a guitar solo then electric piano joins in too. It kicks into a guitar driven, uptempo section before 6 1/2 minutes. A spacey calm follows with vocals as themes are repeated the rest of the way in this 9 minute track. A top three.

"Pictures Of Sadness" is my final top three. Another track that features both acoustic and electric guitar but this time we get mellotron. Spacey synths, vocals and repeated themes as well in this one. I'm not big on those synths shooting off everywhere to open "Yann" but the ripping guitar solo 3 minutes in works fine. The closer features a mellotron solo by the drummer and is more in that folky style early on before the mellotron dominates. A solid 4 stars and I am such a fan of Eduardo's singing and guitar playing. So glad I took a chance on this one. I mean the cover has him cross-legged playing his guitar in outer space. Forgive me for being skeptical.