HUMAN GEOMETRY

Well this was a surprise. I had heard that High Spy had revamped their line up and, after the lacklustre release that was their previous effort - the half good, half awful 'The Code' - I was sure that this was a good thing. I wasn't so sure about what kind of album they would produce. It seems that the new recruits have given the band a kick up the posterior. This is a quality release. They have produced a prog rock album which veers towards the rock more than the prog. The keyboard skills of Mark Price remain the dominant factor, but the band have toughened up. There is a drive to the band which wasn't there before. Elements of '80s era Rush combined with The Police give the rhythm section fresh vigour and push the music along insistently. All six tracks are superb and don't meander, even the ten minute plus 'Circles & Squares', benefitting from great songwriting sensibilities and thought provoking intelligent lyrics. This is really well constructed mature rock music with a progressive edge. For a band whose previous releases were often found lacking, this is a fantastic album. Well worth adding to your collection. 4.5 Stars