ANAGRAMARY

Back from the mists of the past, Red Jasper is set to return with some new material. Now they never were a big splash even in prog circles, their albums quite hard to find but blessed by great qualities that deserve some recognition. Imagine a more Celtic-folk Galahad and you may have a clearer idea, as now departed vocalist Davey Dodds certainly had an incredible voice, correctly identified by others as somewhere between David Cousins, Fish and Gabriel but actually closer to Galahad's Stuart Nicholson, a gifted vocalist in a genre not always very famous for its microphone wielders! Previous albums "A Midsummer's Night" (1993) and "A Winter's Tale" (1994) possessed obvious Shakespearean hues, all enveloped in a tight neo-folk structure, blessed by some inspired playing , delightful vocals and interesting lyrics. The band's core instrumentalists remain until today as Robin Harrison on electric and acoustic guitars (Dave Lambert of Strawbs comes to mind), the highly supportive Lloyd George on keyboards and a tight rhythm section of Jonathan Thornton on bass and drummer Doug Clifford who is the new lead vocalist on the upcoming 2011 release. These lads are gifted players and fully understand the benefits of mood and atmosphere. This is Red Jasper last recorded opus back in 1997 'Perfect Symmetry' wastes little time in dilly-dallying, heading straight for the jugular with some powerful chops, Davey displaying his dramatic singing style, acrobatically forging the song ahead , very reminiscent of Nicholson's delivery on Galahad's recent and critically acclaimed 2007's "Empires Never Last" album. This is a stellar opener that bodes well for the remainder of the tracks presented here. In fact, that same Arthurian connection reappears on the second track 'Babylon Rising' and aptly titled fourth piece 'In the Name of Empire'. These all are strong Neo-prog tracks that are vivid, expressive and breathtaking, spiced with lovely Celtic/Oriental touches on the first one (tin whistle and bodhran) and politico-satirical on the second named as only the English can successfully do. The final lyric is "empires never last" (did the Galahad boys find their inspiration here, I ask? A great tune nevertheless graced by humorous lyrics with a stunning tin whistle solo, followed by a sultry violin slide and a galloping beat protected by mellotron washes. The profound anti- colonial rants continue on the fluid instrumental 'Flag' and the gratingly hard-edged 'Island of the Mighty', both complementing the overall theme quite brilliantly. The ornate instrumental qualities are openly expressed, with all soloists shining ever so brightly, offering up stark contrasts and evocative flurries of notes. 'People of the Hills' features harder boundaries, wah-wah twirling guitars and acerbic lyrics and vocal deliveries, almost crunching rocker material. Drummer Clifford has a different yet just as pleasant voice on the gorgeous 'In Her Eyes', a sumptuous ode to love , a subject matter that has room in prog , regardless of what the purist claim. Acoustic guitar frills introduce the heartfelt yet simple melody , trembling vocals expressing regret and humility evolving into a masterful chorus that refuses to fade away, deeply eloquent in that peculiar brit folk style. The elegant piano solo relates the feelings perfectly and the lead guitar solo keeps it graceful until the end. Clifford returns on the simply marvelous 'Through the Dawn', a highlight ballad that is the summit here for me. I could listen to this unendingly, a serenely appealing and memorable concoction that has a 'Dust in the Wind' feel . This consummate opus ends with the instrumental electronica of 'Waterfalls' that surprises one with a guitar finale of unforgettable proportions. "Anagramary" is a most precious recording indeed, highly original within the constraints of a limited genre. Fans of the above mentioned certainly need to hunt this one down, as its a hard find .That only makes it even more precious. 5 Crimson stones