BIRDS

The North Sea Radio Orchestra shows some consistency here; I could more or less take my review of their first (self titled) album and copy it in here. The mix of styles is again the same, there are some folk songs sung by the delightful voice of Sharron Fortnam (The Angel, A Poison Tree), some classical and chamber music influences, some crafty choir arrangements, some well woven instrumental parts, another quite classical solo guitar miniature, hardly any drums. Some songs are very guitar oriented, some are carried through by the piano, and in some the strings and choir take the show, Personal Hodie is even an orchestral piece. Also harmonically there are some complexities to be found; although all is well listenable there are some remarkable changes and turns to be found. The last song Golden Cage is a bit of an outlier as a more easy going pop song with some more beat, sung as a duet by Sharron and Craig, although it still has strong folk elements and it is certainly not an outlier in that it is as beautiful and pleasant as the rest of the album. Now Welcom Somer has the most ideas packed into it; Copt Gilders is a very uplifting and dynamic instrumental, these are my highlights.

The first album was first, so this is just not quite as original as the first one, it's a second offering of the same kind; however, if I had heard both of them without knowing which came first, I'd say they are on a par, if Birds is not even the better one. I think regarding compositions arrangements and musicianship both are on the same level, but the production of Birds is more transparent and professional. OK, you can't exactly accuse them of too much development, but after the first one I was very happy to get another fix of this kind of music. (Don't expect revolutions on their third album either.)

In any case it is as much of a pleasure to hear this one from beginning to end as its predecessor, and so I give it the same rating.