REPUBLIKFLUCHT! ...FACING EAST

An Italian band of seasoned veterans have here put together quite an excellent oeuvre. I hear so many wonderful sounds familiar to me from so many other bands (The Fixx, Steely Dan, The Dream Academy, Prefab Sprout, Rush, Art in America, Gino Vanelli, Ozric Tentacles, Unitopia, Aisles) and eras (the 80s), all blended together subtly, unassumingly, into a very fresh and original (and welcome!) sound. And it is all packaged in great sound engineering. Favorite songs: "Eastern Fields" (11:52) (9/10); "Echoes Mankind (part II)" (9:22) (9/10); "Four- Leaf Clover" (10:37) (with its gorgeous SANTANA-like last three minutes!) (9/10); Berlin" (12:55) (love the sound big shift at 3:30!) (9/10), and; the FIXX-like "Republikflucht" (10:54) (8/10).

A very solid four star contribution to the annals of progressive rock of which this band should be quite proud.