THE REST OF WENDY

LIKE WENDY is the Dutch musical project of Bert HEINEN, mixing progressive rock with symphony since 1998. In line with a neo-prog at MARILLION, IQ or PALLAS as a reference and GENESIS or PENDRAGON for guitar playing. More a concept than a group since he released his 10th album still solo after a remarkable 'The Fisher' in 2021.

"Flight" neo-symphonic intro reminiscent of the flights of ARAGON; the guitar gives the heavy, monolithic, brightened, dark, oxymorian rhythm; the solo wants to be higher in notes, airy and solemn. "Shine On Memory" for one of three ballads over 10 minutes; I find there the melody to BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST, flights to DICE, in short, art rock with convolutions to stop time and stay in a world far from noise; it's long, hypnotic, vintage. "Ivory Tower" acoustic guitar for a melody with the voice in front; light bucolic sound effects; the final guitar solo stretches and goes on a BJH or even CAMEL trip. "Creation" ARAGON for the electro synth, the guitar a bit of Bert, it's like even him who plays! A break with keyboards giving freshness, liveliness on this monolithic title; a second break à la GENESIS for the flute, the guitar, the atmosphere; it is at this moment that the sound specific to LIKE WENDY finally falls into place. "Apocalyptic Sun" in the same vein with electronic drums, why I was talking about ARAGON, which can disturb the fan hooked on the rock spirit and the musicians who give with their hands; good at the hands level, another solo that melts between melodic, atmospheric, intimate, meditative. "Birth" second long piece which begins as a sequel to the previous title; don't expect a striking COLLAGE intro, like a little LANDS END melody; wait a bit and the guitar solo comes, which actually does Bert's body; the break with fluid monolithic synth bringing the guitar is one of the most successful of the album, the second with synths à KELLY des MARILLION.

"Running Scared" intro typed, latent, dark on keyboards and a spleen guitar; a slow descent to the sounds of retro yesteryear that ooze from all floors, it doesn't hurt; it is at the end of the title that the atmosphere takes on its full body. "Wings of Icarus" continues on the same tempo, cascade of notes falling to infinity; the final spleen of phew, for young people who would read. "End of Daylight" BJH ambiance without the voice on another synthetic tune; be reassured the solo which arrives is well stamped with a rhythm which goes up on the end. "Prince X" flowing melodic ballad, in the same vein, still as beautiful for the prog declination, redundant too. Finally "Live Forever" arpeggios like interlude ballad rhyme, to rest your mind for a while. "Wreck of the Dancer" for the last long title which makes my ears suddenly prick up; we feel the hints of MARILLION, GENESIS between boxes, superb; the mid-term break, a time on the SUPERTRAMP goes back to the Fishian era, tonic, bewitching; the keyboard is well placed and navigates between the two decades, a bit of CLEPSYDRA there, in short neo I warned you.

LIKE WENDY tries to make us dream by revising our memory on the titles that speak of a number of referenced groups to which I add the BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST for the melodic side, the long guitar flights; yes Bert is a very good guitarist. A long album which has beautiful pieces, others less engaging, quite repetitive which are repeated and risk losing interest in the end, danger. An anachronistic album where the intros are common, the tunes common but where the digressions become intense, full of feeling and emotion.