AFFECTS

Just three years after the debut and New Sun were back with their second album, 1998's 'Affects'. The line-up was the same as for the previous, which had them gaining in confidence and looking to expand their sound into other territories such as symphonic. They also brought in a guest violin player in Benito Cortez to assist in this. This expansion meant they moved away somewhat from the more straightforward melodic expressions of the debut and instead maintained some of that but also wanted to see where the music would lead them and their listeners. "Acquired Muscle Memory" is quite Floydian, with delicate keyboards and Gilmour-style lead, yet there are times when the influences of Rush and Tiles come through, along some of the more melodic stylings of King Crimson.

The debut album was a load of fun, but it is only when playing 'Affects' that one realises just how much more depth there is here as we are no longer in the shallows of prog but are now fully immersed and who knows where the current will take us? This means that although this is not as immediate as the debut, the more this is played the more there is to discover and enjoy with lengthier instrumental passages and more concentration on guitar leads. The rhythm section here almost sits in the background, just providing a wonderful platform for the others to work against yet rarely stepping into the spotlight. However, listen to what they are doing and there is a lot of complexity taking once to build that foundation. A definite step up, both this and the debut are thoroughly enjoyable, but in different ways.