ECHOLYN

It took me three spins of that CD to get pass my initial deception. When i decided to stop making comparison to the excellent MEI, i finally listened to the music with a open mind to let the music reveal itself. I think i was disturbed by the passage to the first track who was to me a pure joy to listen, to the next tracks who where very different. I was expecting another progressive masterpiece like MEI and was offer, instead a collection of songs of different moods. So i will do a track by track for a change.

"Island" : We have all the trade mark of the band here, with multiple part vocals, delicate instrumental breaks. This is a great start that continue where MEI as ended.

"Headright" : Opposite style of song, short and simple

"Locust To Bethlehem" : Starts like a country song with the guitar but it mixed up with classical arrangements and violin. Nice interplay between some delicate instrumentation and the vocals.

"Some Memorial" : A lot of use of piano in this song that built his momentum slowly to a up tempo beat in the second part.

"Past Gravity" : Starts slowly and peacefully with piano and vocals and finishing in a more energetic rock sound.

"When Sunday spills" : Another song in two parts, the first one more laid back and the second gets heavier.

"Speaking In Lampblack" : Starts in a post-rock atmosphere with emotional vocals and the music in the background. The second part shows a return to the symphonic sound where all instruments are driving together in harmony.

"The Cardinal and I" : The progressive side of the first track in back, with more instrumental breaks, the delicate sound of the music is temper with some heavy passages. This is probably the closest track to the old Echolyn's sound.

In conclusion, i enjoyed this CD more in my latest listening, that's why i did the review, because i don't usually do reviews of music that i don't enjoy. The band decided to put in one CD, all the different type of songs they did in the past, and in the end, the result is that we have another winner for Echolyn's fans.