RAJAZ

Andy Latimer just keeps finding ways to release his continuous flow of musical ideas, no matter who's around him. Sometimes it surprises me that he just doesn't use his own name as the artist behind each album as it is obvious that he is the force/genius behind them all.

1. "Three Wishes" (6:58) building off of a famous 1970s riff (either from JETHRO TULL or SANTANA) Andy creates a jazz fabric over which to tender away on his "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"-like bluesy electric lead. At firs the background is fairly quiet and benign, but then at the 3:00 all that potential energy is released from the support staff to push Andy into some more creative playing. The drum and bass rhythm section in the fifth minutes sounds very GENESIS/BRAND X-like as Andy continues to explore variations on dynamics and textures for his play on the Tullish riff. Solid song with impressive support from his sidemen even if it is all built around one guitar riff. (13.5/15)

2. "Lost And Found" (5:38) a cello-supported Steve Hackett-sounding song with Andy's mundane voice supplying vocals before making way for the main event: the axe play--this time over some GENESIS-like chord and rhythm play (think "Back in N.Y.C" "as I cuddled the porcupine?"). Nice synth solo from Kayak's own Ton Scherpenseel before Andy takes over. The solo section over 12-string arpeggi and bass pedal thrums that finishes the song also conjures up plenty of Genesis for me. Luckily, imitation is the highest form of flattery. (8.75/10)

3. "The Final Encore" (8:07) part Rhyader, part Allan Holdsworth (guitar sound). (Great guitar playing.) There's a bit of Downer Jim Morrison in Andy's tone of voice. Interesting sound engineering choices. I've never really enjoyed the way Andy has the rest of the band "clear out" while he solos: it reminds me of NBA basketball when the team creates a lopsided congestion on one side of the basket/key while Alan Iverson or James Harden takes the ball to the hoop virtually unopposed. (13/15)

4. "Rajaz" (8:15) acoustic guitars are nice. Vocals are nice. Cello is nice. Flute is nice. It's a nice song ? but nothing extraordinary--even at the halfway point when the motif switches and the dobro enters over the organ and vibrating bass notes. In fact, that's when the re-entering vocals take on an even more pronounced Jim Morrison feel/sound. Still, nice melodic solos in the fifth and sixth minutes. ("Clear out!") There's more than a little ROY BUCHANAN in his bluesy style (though there are also very familiar DAVID GILMOUR tones and touches). (17.5/20)

5. "Shout" (5:15) More strummed acoustic guitar with very stripped down, spacious, simple bass and drum support while Andy delivers one of the poorer vocals on the album. ("He's got a voice like you and me" Don McLean said of Bob Dylan in his song "American Pie.") A little room for some adventuring from Keyboardist Ton Scherpenseel despite Andy's spacious Chris Isaak/Mark Knopfler guitar playing. Nice for its many subtleties--lack of bombast. (8.5/10)

6. "Straight To My Heart" (6:23) more slow, spacious music for a depressing late-night listen. I never thought of Camel music as being this bluesy, this slow and depressing, this simple and spacious, nor this Mark Knopfler/David Gilmour-like. Not a bad song--there's some very good guitar play and admirable subtleties in it--it's just one fails to engage me--one that I don't care if I ever hear again. (8.75/10)

7. "Sahara" (6:44) sparse "strings" foundation over which Andy plays electric blues guitar with the sensitivity of Roy Buchanan, Jan Akkerman, Robert Cray, or perhaps Robben Ford. As a matter of fact, it sounds very much like Roy's "Fly Night Bird"--even when the band kicks in with power and pace at the three-minute mark. I can see now why guitarists and lovers of guitar-centered music love this album. (8.75/10)

8. "Lawrence" (10:46) a truly cinematic ballad about the British hero of the Arabian campaign during World War I. Andy's plaintive voice sounds like a cross between Irish ambient folk rocker PERRY BLAKE and BLUE NILE's Paul Buchanan. Also, there is a very stong Supertramp feel to this song (especially to its keyboard "orchestration"--think "Fool's Overture" and "Even in the Quietest Moments") with some nuances of a "Battle of Epping Forest" as well. It definitely pulls at your heart strings as Andy wails on his guitar during the song's ending solo over the final three minutes. Definitely the highlight of the album. As fine as anything Dave Gilmour has ever recorded. (19/20)

Total Time: 58:06

In my opinion, this is a truly unremarkable and largely forgettable album. It's an album of diverse yet bluesy songs that remind me of the way Steve Hackett likes to construct his albums. In fact, with vocals being his weak spot (though not as bad as they used to be), the similarities to Mr. Hackett's career discography and stylistic choices are somewhat similar. But more, it's an album for fans of slow, depressing Mark Knopfler or Doors music. Therefore, I'd say this is an album appropriately left for either supreme guitar-player lovers or Camel fans/completionists only.

B/four stars; an excellent addition of guitar-based bluesy prog for any music lover.