BOOK OF HOURS

I wasn't expecting much from this release, I thought it would be filled with mellow all instrumental music. Well I promptly had my doors blown off. WILLOWGLASS is the project of multi-instrumentalist Andrew Marshall, and he offers up some vintage seventies-like instrumental music that is as close to perfect as you can get. GENESIS came to mind the most but also CAMEL, and the mellotron samples are all over this album. I like the fact that this album is 50 minutes in length as well.

"Argamasilla" opens with a GENESIS-like soundscape and tons of mellotron.The tempo picks up before 1 1/2 minutes where it reminds me of CAMEL.The mellotron is still flowing. A calm with bass before 3 1/2 minutes and the mellotron is so majestic. Guitar after 4 1/2 minutes as the sound gets fuller then the tempo picks up again. Banks-like organ followed by a mellotron-storm that last to the 8 minute mark. That GENESIS sound is back and it sounds so beautiful with the mellotron. "Willowglass" features 12 string guitar and lots of flute throughout. Oh yeah and mellotron. "The Maythorne Cross" opens with flute as piano and mellotron come in.This sounds so amazing right here. It settles after 3 1/2 minutes as a recorder comes in then it picks back up again. Flute after 5 1/2 minutes followed by a calm until drums, mellotron and bass kick in. Check out the bass, organ and guitar before 8 minutes. Fantastic ! It ends with an eerie calm.

"Book Of Hours" opens with organ and acoustic guitar. A change 2 1/2 minutes in as the tempo picks up with pulsating organ and light drums. Back to the acoustic guitar 6 minutes in. "The Labyrinth" is the 17 minute closer. Mellotron before a minute followed by guitar and drums. Great sound. The mellotron returns and then synths and drums take over. Silence before 6 1/2 minutes and then it starts to build. Check out the organ and mellotron 8 minutes in. Drums and chunky bass join in as well. Powerful organ before 9 1/2 minutes then piano and melloton take over. Acoustic guitar after 12 minutes as mellotron and drums join in. Incredible soundscape to end it.

I think when I heard about this album originally I was thinking it would be really pastoral and maybe a little boring. Well I was so wrong. Sure it has some beautiful pastoral moments, but this is anything but boring. Andrew is a very talented man both in playing the instruments and also composing the music. Well done !