FOUR MOMENTS

While other reviewers seem to hear the influences of Camel or Pink Floyd in the music of this album, I have been blown away by the direct lifting of passages, motifs, riffs, sound palettes, and individual instrumental sound choices from Jan Akkerman-Thijs van Lier-era FOCUS. (Just listen to the third movement of the "Four Moments" suite, "Journey Through Our Dreams," or "Rosanna," or the entire "Openings" epic, and tell me you're not listening to Focus!) There are the frequent usage of Richard Wright or Pete Bardens synth sounds and there are plenty of nods to Yes (the Steve Howe guitar that finishes "Everything Is Real") and other classic instrumentalists, and Mellotron and vocals are not found in the work of the Dutch masters, but overall, there's so much Focus (and I love Focus!); this is, to my ears, an awesome display of the best of all that was Focus. Thus I've found myself really liking this album. The music is complex and the performers all very skilled and the melodies very engaging. The main detractors from perfection are 1) the too-close mimicry of Focus song themes and 2) the unremarkable, even banal vocals; so long as the music stays instrumental, it's fantastic, if overly-familiar. 4.5 stars rated down for mimicry, still a pretty amazing record for sound production, instrumental skill, and mature constructions. Highly recommended--especially if you wish Focus would've done more (and been more consistent with their sound and styles).