A STEP INTO ELSEWHERE

Cirrus Bay's sophomore release is significantly better than their debut, and is one of the most beautiful albums to come out in recent years. Gorgeous, endearing melodies abound and killer chord progressions call to mind Tony Banks and Dave Stewart in their mix of emotion and complexity. Sharra Acle and Anisha Gillham provide angelic vocals interspersed with glorious instrumental passages that feature mellotron and flute (or a very good keyboard equivalant) along with acoustic and electric guitars that blend with sophisticated harmonies. 'Serenity In A Nutshell' opens the album in a classic prog fashion, having more in common with bands like Renaissance and 70's Genesis than modern progressive artists. 'The Exposure of Truth' has the strongest chord progressions, enough, I would think, to impress Tony Banks, an obvious influence. And, speaking of Banks, 'Zenobia' is one of the few songs that retains some of the feel of tracks like 'One For The Vine' and 'Mad Man Moon'. This could be my favorite album of 2009, but then I love my prog to be beautiful, and they dont get more beautiful than this.