ISLANDS

After many years of disliking this album I'll admit it has grown on me on time, and while it still doesn't reach up to the onslaughts that is 'Lizard' or 'In the Court..' the whole album is equally as atmospheric and haunting. Prime examples of this occours in the closing title track and the slightly psychotic "The Letters", the former represent the best of early Crim's beauty, the latter the beast as it tells the story of a raging wife killing her cheating husband. The unnerving middle section of the piece seem to sum up her procedure pretty well. The new lineup including Ian Wallace and Boz Burrel certainly isn't as interesting as the Lake/Giles era though Robert Fripp's unique techniques starts to shine brightly here, giving the music an extra boost within the beauty. The compositions are generally more toned down compared to earlier works but musically very interesting all the way through, the only exception being the (in my opinion) failed classical experiment "Song of the Gulls", a track that never have interested me. One of the few "skippers" in Crim's catalogue. Fairly even album in the end and worth 3.5 stars.