ART OF COMPLEX SIMPLICITY

As with earlier work like MELLOM OSS, "Art of Complex Simplicity" is heavy on the instrumentals and applies a Scandinavian folk filter to a CAMEL lens, but several changes are made. For one, vocals are in English, and quite well sung. And while the preponderance of pastoral instrumentals again makes tracks blend into each other in an amorphous if happy clump, this album features several standouts that rank up there with the best in the sub genre.

The most impressive of the wordless cuts is probably "Guiding Light", a brief but powerful yet peaceful call to arms. The melody is arresting, partly due to an odd familiarity that I can't place. The lengthier "Joie to Vivre" captures this theme among others and should appeal to the more demanding listeners among us, not that it is unusually complex by any means. "Never Land" is the prime representation of the group's stock in trade - a relaxing piece with delicate guitars and floating female voices but enough oomph in the bass and drums to keep you awake. But the two must-haves are "Lady of the Lake", a lovely song that is more like STRAWBS than Strawbs, a bang-on take on their classic "Glimpse of Heaven"; and the even more appealing "Linger a Bit Longer", a melodic tour de force bolstered by keyboards and lead guitars played with abandon yet in the service of the tune.

If you are a symphonic fan leaning in the folk direction or vice versa, then make a virtual sprint to your local retailer for this atmospheric delight. Guaranteed to simplify your life without giving you a complex.