SHOOTING ALBATROSS

OK, having been a fan of epic length, symphonic recordings in my formative prog years (the 70's), and having fallen in love with such iconic bands as Genesis and Yes, I can appreciate the work it must have taken to create these 4 tracks. Although expansive, they manage to hold the listeners attention with beautiful synthesizer breaks and some nice acoustic guitar and keys. The mammoth centerpiece, So Far, tends to get a little meandering at times, and probably could have been pared down just a bit, but the real gems here more than make up for that. The final two tracks, Sheepish & Ventura, are truly masterpieces of progressive songwriting. They definitely bear that European prog footprint and that's a good thing! When these guys take it down into the softer symphonic passages, the music just washes over you and kinda takes you to those times back in the day when listening to a track let you float off to a more peaceful place. Old school prog that pays tribute to its influences in the most complimentary way.