QUIDAM

Quidam entered into the music business with their namesake album... and boy, what an entry it was! This talented Polsih sextet cultivated from day one a polished symphonic prog heavily inspired by contemporary Camel and early Marillion, creating a classy neo-prog sound, with a perfect balance of catchy tunes and clever arrangements: not only they are skillful musicians who can interact fluidly, but also they are capable of writing excelent melody lines... and let's not forget to mention Emila Derkowska's amazing singing and astonishing style. Tracks 1 and 2 are really vibrating, drifting towards the melancholy side of symph prog and retaining a genuine sense of energy. Things get more colourful and optimistic in 'Gleboka Rzeka' and the exquisite 'Plone' (one of my favorite Quidam tracks ever), and even a bit more explosive (not too much) in 'Nocne Widziadla', but always keeping a proper touch of melancholy, for which Derkoska's voice proves to be a most perfect vehicle of expression. In the instrumental department, most solos are played by the guitar and the flute, but the major responsibilities lay in the hands of keyboardist Florek, since he's in charge of supporting the main harmonies, chords, orchestral textures and layers. There are also some pop-like excursions (the shorter tracks), which serve as nice "interludes" between the more ambicious compositions. This album still impresses me every time I listen to it as much as the first time, a bunch of years ago - a must for those whcollectors interested in the best of contemporary symph.