MUSIC FROM THE LAND OF MOUNTAINS, LAKE AND WINE

Men of Lake altered their style quite dramatically for this release, which appears to have been their swan song. The main change, at least on the surface, is the reduced importance of the organ and the general lack of that big Hammond sound, in favour of electric guitar. It's hard to say what they sound like here, but the name Dire Straits keeps coming back. Please think of that only as a starting point, but at times the band adopts a laid back vocal and guitar style, and a slightly jazzy feel that is reminiscent of that British band. This is especially so on some of the better tracks here, like "Nothing at All", "Words in the Rain", "Sailor's Way" and "Lady Day Dream". At times the guitars are also in the style of Andy Latimer from Camel, especially in the break on "Sailor's Way".

I am tempted to reward an extra star for the band's willingness to evolve, but Men of Lake continues to be plagued by some degree of inconsistency, so that there are just too many lesser tracks and segments to justify an excellent rating, even if certain songs and many moments would be worthy. One problem is that, on too many of the best songs, they abandon the mellow mood midway through in a way that is somewhat lacking in subtlety and evolution. In all, "Music from the Land of..." is a good album that shows Men of Lake going out on a high note, even if not with their "signature" sound. It definitely keeps the band's reputation afloat.