ABEL GANZ

This is an album of quite diverse and eclectic styles, though it is essentially a collection of nice retro Prog Folk in the same league as THE DECEMERISTS and ECHOLYN (though I like this album better than anything I've heard from the latter two).

The five-part epic entitled "Obsolescence" (23:22) (8/10) is a true prog epic--opening in an acoustic folk fashion like THE DECEMBERISTS, but closing with hard electric instrumentalism.

The album has a couple of full-blown world music songs, including "Heartland" (5:08) (9/10) complete with woman singing in an unusual foreign language and ENIGMA-like rhythms and synth washes, and the instrumental "End of Rain" (5:33) (9/10).

"Spring" (2:25) (8/10) and "A Portion of Noodles" (3:22) (8/10) are both Windham Hill-like solo acoustic guitar pieces. "Thank You" (6:57) (7/10) is an out-and-out Country/Western song.

"Recuerdos" (4:20) (8/10) is a beautiful, sensitive, horn-supported CHICAGO/FROGG CAFÉ-like song. There is even a modern neo-chamber piece, the album's opener, "Delusions of Grandeur" (2:12) (10/10).

"Unconditional" (14:05) is a kind of ECHOLYN-meets-PORCUPINE TREE song of suitable prog length. (9/10)

The album's finale, "The Drowning" (5:25), with its deeply stirring male vocal with only the support of a horn section, almost defies categorization and yet may be the most beautiful and effective song on the album. (10/10) What a way to end and album! This is definitely an album that has been well worth the attention and time I've given it to get to know its depths and subtleties. What I originally thought was good I now highly recommend as an excellent addition to any prog music lover's collection.