EARTH AND FIRE

This debut is among my favorite albums of any genre. This is the band in its hard rock/psych/folk mode, with organs and flutes sharing space with heavy electric and acoustic guitars. They haven't fully reached their "prog phase" yet, but BOY OH BOY are these songs catchy. Although the band got a little help from George Kooymans (Golden Earring), who penned their first single ("Seasons"), their songwriting ability is already fully-formed. Each song is dynamic, filled with hooks, and try to keep the song structures interesting. Jerney Kaagman (vocals) comes across like a girl-next-door version of Grace Slick, displaying both a toughness and a fun quality that's really charming. The singles, "Wild and Exciting", "Seasons", and "Ruby is the One" are everything hard rock singles from 1970 should be. An exhilarating debut - when it ends, I often go back to the beginning and play it again.