SOUND MIRROR

Since I saw some people compare this new band "Syd Arthur" with Caravan I had been very curious to hear it and so I have done for the last days. I could say immediately that this band sounds like no other prog band I have heard, so it could be worth checking it out. Though am I hesitant if it should be considered prog. Well, they are quite new thinking so why not!

They come from the South East of London and has released three singles and now two studio albums. "Sound mirror" from 2014 is their second one. It has an easy-foreseeable length and a notable cover picture of what I think is a huge concrete foundation. The line up is the vocalist and guitarist Liam Magill, the vilinist, mandolinist and keyboardist Raven Bush, the bassist and vocalist Joel Magill and the drummer and percussionist Fred Rother.

I was rather disappointed from the beginnign when I heard this sounded like some form of alternative rock or indie rock or something. I am not especially familiar with these genres but I have heard similar things at random occations on the radio or at small scenes at bars and I have felt uncomfortable about its squeaky exclamations. Well let's just say I am not into that modern stuff. With that said I could nevertheless say that this is the best of that genre I have heard!!

Syd Arthur (great name) plays very skillfully and it's easy to hear the acoustic feeling, the variety of instruments and inspiration. "Sound Mirror" contains very melodic music and they are not bombastic. That is I guess the similarity people have found with this band and the band I like. The half of these songs are good or more than good and the rest are less interesting. "Garden of time" (7/10) is a pleasant starter which contains both things to love and things I can't help doubt in. The album's best track though is the instrumental "Singularity" which also must be considered the most progressive track here(8/10). That is the only track I don't hesitate to listen to at all. But through a majority of the songs I hear a lot of musicality such as on "Autograph"(6/10) a nice little pop song and "Backwardstepping" and "Chariots"(both 6/10). Least interesting are the three tracks 4-6 in the middle which I have very hard to appreciate(4/10). There it's just not my musical world I guess.

My rating ends at 2.75 which becomes a three star rating. It is good and well performed music which also is quite unique. But it doesn't appeal to me as much as other prog music uses to.