SOUND MIRROR

It's funny, because I was extremely annoyed by Syd Arthur's performance opening for Yes in Denver this year. The sound was mixed horribly, and sounded distorted almost beyond the point of recognition.

Yet the band had a presence that intrigued me, and I could detect some interesting melodies and rhythms underneath all of the distortion. I decided to go down to the concession stand and buy a copy of the album.

Am I ever glad I did! "Sound Mirror" is a delicious album of Psychedelic Rock / Canterbury Prog that satisfies on every level.

The sonic textures achieved here are splendid, creating a mysterious sonic space where instruments blend into each other, vocals echo off into the darkness, and one feels as if the 70's have arrived again in the best possible way.

I heard people compare Syd Arthur to Caravan, but I must admit, this is what I always hoped Caravan would sound like. Liam, the singer and guitarist, purrs like the lower range of Grace Slick. The arrangements remind one of Hatfield and the North, or Soft Machine's Third album. Lots of jazz melodies coupled with psychedelic noise bits and jamming. My favorite song is "Autograph," which has a melody I cannot get out of my head!

Other reviewers have remarked on the similarity of the songs in terms of chord structure and melody. I would instead say that the songs flow together perfectly. I can listen to this hypnotic album again and again, and I am usually a listener who gets bored easily.

One of my favorite elements of progressive rock music is poetic, spiritual lyrics. Syd Arthur delivers this for me in a way no band has done for years. Their abstract, impressionistic lyrics don't reveal easily what they are about, and yet you can get the overall sense of spiritual longing and exploration.

"Syd Arthur" after all, is a pun on "Siddhartha."

Syd Arthur deserved far better sound engineering at the Yes concert, but I am hoping that they will be headlining someday, and that I might see them again. They are a marvelous band and this album is something truly special!