BIRDS OF FIRE

You may need to get used to it, but when it clicks you will realise "Birds Of Fire" is one of the best and most interesting albums ever - without a singer. The tracks vary from speedy, jazzy guitarplay often simultaneous with the piano and/or violin like "Birds Of Fire" and "One Word" to calmer, more melodic songs such as "Thousand Island Park" and "Open Country Joy".

The songs are quite hard to get into though, and aren't something you should listen to with a headache but they contain superb musicianship from guitarist, bassist, drummer, violist and keyboardist - i.e. the whole band. The song "One Word" contains one stunning solo after another for EVERY INSTRUMENT (yes, drums and bass too) while "Celestial Terrestial Commuters" shows great interplay between keyboardist, violist and guitarist where they seem to melt together and then violently erupt.