PSYCHOANOREXIA

Lyrically as well as musically, t sets new standards in the prog world. Yes, I am serious. This is a new horizon in melodic prog, namely that its melodies are less pathetic and sugary, but more sophisticated and complex, thus holding a clever and emotionally assessible balance that still is not mainstream, but also not too avantgarde to attract listeners. Very rarely is it that this kind of project actually is successful: Being different and fresh, but not TOO different and fresh to be recognized as emotional...

t's lyrics enhance this impression. Postmodern approaches not little akin to the greatest of American and English poets and dramatists like Beckett or Pinter appear all over the place. Direct quotes from E.E. Cummings and William Butler Yeats are cleverly set up to create instant atmospheres for those well-read enough without actually leaving those behind too much who cannot understand the "code" or "puzzle". The lines make sense well enough without us recognizing the references, but it is wonderful how much is gained by actually tracing them back to their "homelands". There is, e.g., the line about "wish by spirit in the garden" in Psychoanorexia. The first part at least goes back to Cummings' famous "Anyone Lived In A Pretty How Town" poem and thereby expresses within only three small words the whole of the wonderfully naive longing for individuality and intimacy that Cummings' Lyrical I stands for. This is only one example among very many. Whatever you think about the actual compositions, t is a master of poetry, and his lyrics are among the best I ever came across in the musical world. Yes, and that includes Fish.

The music sets out to underline t's poetic vision. It is therefore, as the theme is evolved in a rather collage-like fashion, eclectic and at times jumpy, at times deeply introvert and emotionally dense. Even sarcastic humour and tragic irony occur, which is very rare in progressive rock. Judging musical compositions is always a matter very much depending on your tastes, so I leave that out here, only stating two things that should be enough to underline the masterpiece status of this record. Firstly, the music is always perfectly meaningful in a way that the compositions mirror the story and in themselves are interesting, very well played and produced, and innovative in their sonic approach. Secondly, as a whole, the album is marked by brilliant dramaturgy. This is not very often the case with concept albums...

So it should have become obvious why I consider Psychoanorexia one of the best albums ever created. You should get your hands on a copy and give it some time. At first sight, this seems a lot like neoprog, but as with all brilliant pieces, the edges and innovative potentials are so clevery introduced that you need some time to actually spot them... before that you only "feel" a certain amount of strangeness to the otherwise so coherent piece of work. Great!

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