SPRINGSONG

Hostsonaten's third effort diverges strikingly from the first two. It is all instrumental and more Celtic folk influenced. "Springsong" makes for clean and refreshing entertainment as befits the season. The shimmering acoustic guitars form an earthy bed for the whistles, recorders, bagpipes, flutes and violins. Many of the melodies are lush and gorgeous, and sound much more like the product of a sophisticated Gallic group than one from the boot shaped country.

While speaking well for Fabio Zuffante's stylistic versatility, in the end "Springsong" reaffirms that pretty in itself doesn't make perfect. Something is lost in translation, perhaps that intangible "feeling". It shares as much in common with some of the more thoughtful new age acts in a pastoral style, such as MARSHALL/ANGER and NIGHTNOISE, or even SHADOWFAX, as it does with more traditionally based Celtic music or progressive rock. By track 2 thematic repetition has already set in, and the final suite again reprises something nice but so familiar and rote.

I just can't too excited about this even though I feel I should. An album that provides much the same sentiment, or lack thereof, is that of NARROW PASS, "A Room of Fairy Queen's". Much to laud on paper and worth an occasional listen when one doesn't want to be distracted, but far from excellent and certainly a step down from "MirrorGames".