JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EYE

Pink Floyd's space rock sound was a real highlight of the late 1960s and early 1970s prog scene, but they never really produced a full album consisting of nothing but full-on space rock from beginning to end - unless you count the live side of Ummagumma, that is. Enter Nektar, who with their debut album staked their claim as being the heirs to Floydian space rock just as PF themselves were moving to a different phase of their career with Meddle.

The album has all the wailing guitars, spooky synths, and shimmering percussion you'd expect from Saucerful of Secrets-era Floyd, but with a conceptual structure that's tighter and more coherent than any of Pink Floyd's pre-Dark Side of the Moon albums. Nektar's entrance to the scene may owe a little to their inspirations, but it's still one hell of a start. And the band make into a monster, by all pulling together as a team...