ANORAKNOPHOBIA

This is one of the better Hogarth albums of the newer "Marillion" sound. The album starts off in uplifting rocky fashion with "Between you and me" which has a very "The Who" sound to it. In other places i can detect a bit of 80's Clapton. "Quartz" has more of a rhythmic feel to it which is almost laid back jazzy- but it works. A good solid song. "Map Of The World" however sounds like something "The Carpenters" might have done. Straight polite pop fare, well played but nothing much really. "The fruit of the wild rose" is one i am undecided on. Sometimes i love it and at other times i have to skip it. A strange love/hate relationship with this one have i. "Separated Out" gets things back on course again with that almost "The Who-ish" sound making a return on another solid rocking number which in my opinion is one of the best of the Hogarth era to date. "This Is The 21st Century" is slow, dreamy and dare i say a good song to cuddle up to your girlfriend to, with candles and joss sticks, and maybe a few wind chimes tinkling away in the background, and a smell of peach blossom in the air. A great summery song. Finally we come to the magnificent "If my heart were a ball ( It would roll uphill )" It starts off in eerie, almost disturbing fashion, building up the tension, until Steve Rothery comes in with some angsty Black Sabbath like riffing. The song continues to twist and turn in some interesting ways, taking in a bit of that old "Marillion" sound mixed with "Radiohead" and strange as it may sound, also Hermans Hermits. This is where the album ends for me. I just found the extra disc unecessary. All in all a good balance of well crafted pop and some nice newer progressive elements. Certainly worth your attention.

Cheers Chit