INTEGRATION

At a time when everyone and his brother is (quite rightly) lauding IQ's "Road of Bones" - unquestionably a 5 star masterpiece - I buck the trend and find myself reviewing a record that is now nearly 15 years old. In the event, I find it frankly amazing that I am the first to commit a review to print. But so be it; we are where we are. In short, as may be expected wherever Clive Nolan lays his head, Integration is neo-prog heaven. It marks a real forward shift from the decidedly patchy "Chasing the Dream", with sumptuous melodies, catchy hooks, and delightfully unexpected quirks as it proceeds. Only Objects in Motion, which I couldn't take to, prevents me giving the album the top rating. The remaining 7 tracks deliver a well-trodden mix of the soaring and the plaintive = neo-prog by numbers. But, for me at least, the numbers all add up, and they lead me down a road I am perfectly happy to take. Love it - great stuff.