FIREBIRD V11

Yes! Phil has delivered an instrumental classic which shares a kinship with the best of Diamond Head, Mainstream, and 801. Really! It even sounds as if it was recorded with vintage instruments, and isn't that a good thing? Charles Hayward is a breath of fresh air - a real drummer playing a real kit with subtlety and restraint, and not merely a technobot who likes to "lift things up and put them down" as fast as possible. This release was a pleasant surprise - as the last trio of Manzanera solo offerings sounded somewhat constrained by self-conscious song writing and vocal delivery. Phil sticks to his strengths here, with maybe his best and tastiest guitar work yet. With no high profile guests and nothing to prove, the result is an organic work in which the songs are given room to breath and develop. They are not over produced or overworked, and sound almost like spontaneous jams flowing in and around strong foundations (think: Miss Shapiro from 801 Live) A tasteful, mature, yet risky work. A good cup of coffee in a sea of 5-hour energy snorts!

4.5 stars.