A FOREST OF FEY

English- Ayreon-Meets-Pastoral-Genesis? As a subscriber to both Classic Rock and Prog Magazine I was instantly aware that this album has divided opinion between the reviewers in each mag, with Prog giving it a Mixed review and Classic Rock's Geoff Barton singing its praises and awarding 8/10. After reading both reviews I decided to check it out and decide which side of the fence I came down on? and man am I glad I did.

I fully agree with Geoff Barton's assessment that this is almost a folk-tinged 'Operation Mindcrime' style concept ? not in terms of sound but defiantly in terms of general vibe of being lost in another world and having the tracks blend into each other, sometimes through narrative transitional tracks.

There was some jibes in Prog Magazine that these guys have a silly name and are Tolkien obsessed? well I see little (or no) evidence of middle earth here ? are porcupine tree obsessed with spikey creatures/shrubberies? Pineapple thief with heisted fruits? All silly throwaway names that have little to do with the music!

The thing that makes this a standout album for me is that no two song sound the same, theres some Tull inspired flute going on, spacey phasing guitar, a range of diverse vocalists some King Crimson-esque moments? perhaps a description of English- Ayreon-Meets-Pastoral-Genesis would be apt?

First impressions are excellent ? this album is getting regular spins on my commute to work and is quickly becoming one of my faves of the year! I can see why some people might not agree but I find it weird and "catchy" in equal measure ? nice one!