LYRICS

An initially unassuming work - belying a trove of hidden treasure - floating somewhere between chamber music and the sort of film score that would accompany a movie featuring a lot of travel between scenic locations. The music isn't as fickle as on previous Opus Avantra albums - indeed, a sustained, stringed drone provides a base for the nine minute opener, "Viaggio Immaginario" which may well limit the amount of variation it can achieve.

The other large piece - "Misterious Japanese Suite" - opens more notably with creative and challenging piano playing in - to this admittedly under-educated reviewer's ears - a rather esoteric scale. This flows into a more rhythmic battle between the piano, a string section playing pizzicato notes and some manner of tuned percussion. There is simply no room for Donella to sing at any point during this suite, so she doesn't. Were that we were all so restrained.

For fans of classical and avant-garde composition as "Lyrics" has negligible to nil rock content. A solid work that's only a slight disappointment when compared to their previous albums - this isn't brought about by a lapse in quality so much as a change in approach.