THE SLIPPING OF A DAY

Cirrus Bay´s debut release shows a band that was still trying to find their style and personality. So if yo happened to know the band throught their excellent second album A Step Into Elsewhere, be prepared. The CD here is kind of a collection of tentative songs, most of them in a folkish and light jazz way. Not that they are bad per se, but clearly they are mostly miles away from the symphonic rock they would succesfully produce just one year after The Slipping Of A Day. There are some real nice melodies and it is obvious that all involved are skilled and versatile musicians, able to play just about everything. But the songwriting here lacks focus, maturity and direction.

What bugs me the most about this CD is the fact that Sharra Acle´s vocals are so underused. Alex Brighenti´s voice isn´t bad, but it is crystal clear that Acle´s vocals are way superior in every aspect. It is no wonder that this mistake was not repeated in their sophmore work. The vocals harmonies are not the best either, they simply sound boring. There are some instrumental tracks, but those are sounding more like unfinished stuff in need of reworking and flashing up.

Not that all is lost, though. The second half of the album has some hidden gems like Through Stone Walls and Slipping, both fine symphonic prog stuff that certainly are kind of blueprints for their next release. Not surprisingly they both feature majestic keys and Hackett-like guitars (still Acle´s vocals would be much more fitting on the latter). And Beyond The Blue Horizon is a beautiful jazzy ballad that - finally! - gives Sharra Acle a chance to show how her vocal prowness can improve a song.

Conclusion: if you want to get some prog stuff here, go straight to the seventh song on. You´ll find some nice things among others not much so. A tentative album, really a bit of hit and miss affair. They did make some progress in a very short time after it. But clearly The Slipping Of A Day is for collectors, fans and completionists only. Two stars.