IF

I've been listening to this album from time to time the last few months and my initial reaction prevails: I'm afraid it doesn't do much for me at all. I loved Lex Rex, Shadowlands and parts of Inconsolable Secret, and this is nowhere as good. First of all: It's a Yes-clone, but not in a good way. It's a quite boring version of Yes we're being served here. There are endless segments of piano chords hammering on straight fourths in almost every song, the turns and twists are quite predictable after a couple of listens, very little of the material sticks when the music ends, not a single phrase, theme or chorus remains in my head. Nothing really grabs or moves me here. Second: The singer is a parody of Jon Anderson, a clone which will never be the original anyway, so why try? Suzy Bogdanovic would have lifted this album from being a mere copy to something a bit more original at least. I really miss Walter Moore, he was THE male voice of Glass Hammer for me, see the DVD Live at Belmont for proof. Third: For all it's complexity, it bores me! I really feel bad having to admit this, but it does. Even more than "Three Cheers..." which I listened to for a short time, but doubt will be replayed any time soon. So there it is, quite disappointing in my opinion. A pity, I was looking forward to this one after the promising announcements of Glass Hammer returning to form.