A DOORWAY TO SUMMER

Admittedly, my first hearing of Moon Safari was with their great album Blomljud, therefore my chronology is a tad messed up. But I would say that is a very strong debut album. The Moon Safari sound is still evident on this, being a mix of Yes, Genesis, and the Flower Kings, with their own unique, special twist. Perhaps what makes them stand out so much is the extremely happy, almost saccharine atmosphere, accompanied by the unique harmonious vocal style.

Song-wise, there isn't really anything that sticks out, if only because the album is pretty consistent throughout. But nothing here is nearly as memorable as anything off Blomljud. 'Dance Across the Ocean,' and 'Spin the World' are probably the highlights, as they both have tons of sweet melodies. The former is pretty piano and keyboard dominated with some folk feel. The latter has a definite prog feel to it, with a rather diverse structure and plenty of melodic, yet complex sections.

Despite not really having anything that jumped out at me, I still think this is one of the better albums to come out of the modern Sweden. I would recommend Blomljud first, but this is still a fine pick up.

6/10