ON AN ON

What a lovely and elegant blend of so many different genres! Most songs have a warm and estival feel to them which is made even more interesting with the heavy jazz chords played in the background. Syd Arthur were not only able to mix genres but they did it in a very catchy way. They didn't trade beauty for complexity, everything flows naturally.

"First Difference" is one my favorite tracks on the album. From the first few bars, you are immersed in this bright Canterbury prog mood while the sound remains modern and fresh.

"Edge of the Earth" is a cool track but I think it lacks the catchiness and impressive background details of other tracks.

"Ode to the Summer", what a fabulous track! It will please prog lovers and their grandmas alike. The verse is a syncopated 3/4 riff. The chorus is incredibly catchy and I particularly love the contrast between the catchy vocal lines and the jazz chords.

"Dorothy" is a mellower, slow paced song which heavily relies on guitar jazz chords. The chorus is extremely catchy as well where quite a good part of the orchestration relies on background vocals in harmony.

"Truth Seeker" is one of the songs I liked the least. I find it a bit chaotic. Although it calms down half way through it. Give it a listen, you might like it!

"Night Shaped Light" is an instrumental. One recurring theme is played on guitar and is somehow reminiscent of Tosin Abasi's playing. The main theme is driven by Raven Bush's violin. A great tune!

"Promise Me" is a bit dull in my humble opinion. I won't elaborate since I'm not a big fan.

"Black Wave" is a cool song. A bit darker than other songs on the album. Won't elaborate either.

"Moving World" is also darker than most songs on the album. I like how the chorus emerges from the verse in a cresendo fashion. It suits the lyrics pretty well. The chorus is very well orchestrated.

"Paradise Lost" brings us back to the brighter mood of earlier tracks in the album. It is also considerably longer than those tracks. It does a perfect closing piece in my opinion. It starts with heavy distorted guitar than moves to one of the main themes where each and every member of the band plays a considerable part. This part is probably the one that will keep you coming. After that, we have a more chaotic section which serves as a transition to a peaceful and spacey part where lyrics kick in. This spacey part evolves into an additional section which is more syncopated, reminds me of Gentle Giant and Spock's beard. The song ends with the main theme.

Overall, an excellent album from a very promising band. In my opinion, highlights are: First difference, Ode to the summer, Dorothy, Night shaped light and Paradise lost.