STILL THERE

I can't believe it has been more than 30 years now in Crystal Palace's existance. To function in obscurity for so long, it deserves respect. The band's sound has evolved over time, but for the last 20 years settled into a kind of melancholic neo-prog mode with mellow vocals but with occasional heavier bursts, of which there have been more over the last albums. The band is very balanced, with the synths and guitar complementing not outshining each other, focusing on atmospherics and melodicism. Points of reference may be a bleaker version of their German compatriots RPWL, and on this particular album, the moody American duo Disconnect (probably not a coincidence that a song here is titled, and similar in vibe to, Planned Obsolesence - just like a latter one's album!). "Still There" is a story-driven concept album, with the story being of bright hopes and suicide (a topic well-covered in rpog). Some songs may be listened to individually, and some are more of a mood setter/plot explaining pieces, but the correct recipe of course is to listen in continuity, as the flow of the album is quite well arranged.