CAIRO

If you're a fan of progressive rock, chances are you've been lonely at times since the 70s. But the fact is prog is alive and well, and Cairo makes great music for the genre today. Like classic prog, Cairo's debut album is blend of short songs and long (ranging from about 2 to 20 minutes), dizzyingly fast instrumentals and ethereal sound washes, and great musicianship. Indeed listening to keyboardist Mark Robertson, you'll swear it's Keith Emerson himself at ivories; in fact Emerson has listed Cairo as one of his favorite bands. The rest of the band is top notch too, in particular lead singer Bret Douglas, whose voice has hints of Jon Anderson and John Wetton, yet is totally unique. The only disappointment here is that Silent Winter and World Divided are somewhat too commercial, but the remaining tracks are 5-star no-holds-barred prog guaranteed to please most fans. Enjoy!