ONE FOR THE CROW

This is the third album by the Dutch prog outfit, but their first with vocalist Margriat Boomsma (who also contributes recorders and flutes). This is album of great depth and contains influences and styles that grow on the listener the more it is played. Margriat has a voice in the style of Tracy Hitchings, with good range and power and harmonises well with guitarist Eddie Mulder. While the cop out is to say that Flamborough Head are a progressive rock band, it is much harder to decide on all of the musical strands that the band are bringing together.

The obvious ones are Pendragon and Pink Floyd, but there is also 'Wind & Wuthering' era Genesis, and even Gryphon to consider. It is an album of delicacy with plenty of space for the music to move, and is never intrusive but far more laid back. In many ways it is the perfect dreamy summer album, with the long instrumental passages showing not only the musical talents of the band but also how they react to each other. The direction can shift quite suddenly at times, but somehow it always manages to make sense.

There is a real feel of the Seventies and this is heightened by the use of delicate instrumental pieces, often just acoustic guitar and piano, which lead onto the longer songs. The electric guitar is rarely riffed but used instead to provide melodic leads, sometimes in harmony with the keyboards or providing a supporting role. A very enjoyable album indeed.

Originally appeared in Feedback #69, Aug 02