THE EMPYREAL BALLET

This is actually a very fun album. The style reminds me a bit of Steely Dan, a mixture of pop sensibilities and jazz chops, but with more prog, and without the New York hipster posing. The vocals sound a bit like The Manhattan Transfer (if The Manhattan Transfer wasn't quite so middle of the road). It's the harmonies and exuberance that bring about the comparison.

The music, as I said, is very jazzy, with lots of fine horn and string arrangements. Sometimes it gets a bit theatrical sounding, but that works with this band. The only low note is the last track, Like It or Not, an instrumental that sounds like a late seventies disco fusion piece.