PATCHWORK

Unlike some reviewers say about this debut CD from french band Arrakeen, I think their work is very original. After all, who else blend together brit neo prog with traditional french music? Not folk, but the traditional "chanson française". The results are awesome, very fine music with great guitar and keyboards interplay and a distinctive female singer. The vocals are in french which seems to fit better to their style than english. It is more a EP than a CD, it lasts only 30 minutes, but what 30 minutes! All songs are good, but the second one, the 11 minute Differences, with its several different moods and tempos is surely a highlight. Marillion´s Steve Rothery adds a fine guitar solo on the last track, a fantastic live version of Marie (a song from their first demo tape).

Too bad the band only produced two CDs before they break up. They could have been huge! Anyway, if you're a neo prog fan you can't miss this one and their second CD Mosaique. After all those years, Arrakeen is my favourite neo prog from France and Patchwork one of the my top ten prog CDs of the decade. Highly recommended!