THOUGHTS

The first thing I noticed about this record spinning it for the first time is how easy it is to discern one instrument from the other. The sound is very clean - it sounds like a Genesis record or, more to Zyma's level, Curved Air. This reminds me somewhat of a Canterburied "Phantasmagoria" Not one instrument stands out, vocals are present yet not at the fore. A man and a woman share vocals on this record. The vocals are operatic, almost amateur, and give the songs a feel like they belong in a classic movie from the '70's like "The Conversation". Zyma's sound on "Thoughts" is best represented by their opening two numbers, "Thoughts" and "Businessman". Bass and drum driven progressive rock from seasoned artists who are obviously having a lot of fun. Synths give songs a spacey feel and the instrumental sections are exciting. Personally, I'd label this eclectic prog, Canterbury is a bit of a stretch, although the elements are there. This takes the elements of some of my favorite sounding groups on the obscure end of the classic prog scale - Ruphus, Alquin, Curved Air, Il Volo - and make it sound unique. Zyma's sound here also owes a debt to Hatfield and the North for sure.