ALL IN THE GOLDEN AFTERNOON...

Hailing from the city of Sheffield, British composer Ian Neal begun his music journey through learning the Hammond organ and, after participating in several local bands, he decided to follow his own path, adding more instruments in his armour.He created his first album ''All in the Golden Afternoon...'' in mid-00's, providing all instrumental parts on it, while several guests provide vocals and narrations in the tracks, some of them coming from the eponymous poem of Lewis Caroll, who actually inspired Neal's first work.

Neal's debut is a dreamy and atmospheric journey into the world of Progressive Rock and Electronic music.He combines the long and extended instrumetal parts of the first with the atmospheric ambiances of the second, to come up with an album, which is quite trippy and ethereal.His music is mostly keyboard-driven with plenty of synthesizers and electronics in the forefront, offering orchestral and cinematic textures, somewhat close to the music of NETHERLAND DWARF or BACKYARDS.The additional guitar parts and the strong Mellotron and piano flavors often bring the music closer to the likes of SPOCK'S BEARD or THE FLOWER KINGS, competent and tight Symphonic Progressive Rock of decent quality with a very dreamy feeling.But there are also moments when the music becomes trully ethereal with leanings towards the Electronic and Post Rock territories.These are led by the heavy use of acoustic guitars, the very good narration vocal parts and the emphasis on electronic loops.Neal also adds some strings and additional keys like the harsichord and organ in a pair of his compositions to deliver an even more diverse and attractive sound.The result is an album, where Orchestral Prog Rock meets modern days' music in a solid fusion of styles.

An artist to keep an eye on.''All in the Golden Afternoon...'' has definitely a fairyrtale, trippy mood all along its way, that will satisfy all lovers of majestic instrumental soundscapes.Recommended.