SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU

I just need to check the calendar before I write this review. Yep, it's 2012, it's just that at the moment it feels like the best part of twenty years ago. Over the last few months I have written reviews of Galahad, Landmarq, Citizen Cain, Big Big Train and others that were active in the Nineties and now here are Jadis back with their first album in six years. I have to confess that 'More Than Meets The Eye' is one of my favourite albums of all-time of any genre, I am probably the only person in New Zealand with a Jadis ringtone (a snippet of "Wonderful World"), and still have very fond memories of the first time I saw Jadis in concert with some outfit called Shadowland on the 'Lurve Ambassadors' tour (and that was 20 years ago!).

So, let's be honest, the chances of me writing a bad Jadis review are pretty slim. Since the last album, 'Photoplay', both Martin Orford (keys/flute/backing vocals)and John Jowitt (bass) left the band and they were initially replaced by Giulio Risi and Andy Marlow respectively but Giulio has also since left and on this album the keyboards are provided by Arman Vardanyan. But, the stalwarts over the years have been the backbone of drummer Steve Christey and the heart and soul of guitarist/singer Gary Chandler. As long as they are there, then Jadis keep going.

I don't know what has been happening over the last six years, as there are very little details on the website, but let's hope that it isn't another six years until the next album as yet again this is superb. Jadis have a sound like no other, with the dual-tracked vocals and the focus on the guitar. Keyboards and bass have their role in all bands, but here it is to provide a backdrop to allow Gary to fly, something he does extremely well indeed. Yes there are times when all of the guys have their turn in the spotlight, but this is all about the guitar. If one has to put in another band reference, then the nearest is probably Camel, but to me Jadis are Jadis: they steer their own path, with less layers and demonstration of virtuosity than many others, yet always very melodic with songs that stick in the mind and demand to be played time and again.

If you have yet to come across this great British band, then you owe it to your ears to do so. For more details visit www.jadismusic.com

I believe I was not the only one to be kind of skeptical about this album. After all, Jadis recent releases were no match to their 90´s stuff. Not bad, of course, the high quality of Gary Chandler´s songwriting was always one of their strong points. But clearly, he was lacking the same inspiration and direction he once had. Besides, after their last studio offer, 2006´s Photoplay, they had lost the former members of IQ, keyboardist Martin Orford and bassist John Jowitt. In other words, they were not in the best of the situations, to say the least!

So I was genuinelly surprised of how good See Right Through You turned out to be. Somehow guitarrist, vocalist and songwriter Gary Chandler found his muse and the collection of songs he presented is probably the best he has ever done since their classic debut, More Than Meets The Eye. The music on this disc wasn´t exactly a return to their roots, but the basic elements that made them famous are right here: the strong sense of melody, fine guitar lines that sound deceptively simple at first, but hide the delicate and complex tapestry of sounds that is Chandler´s trademark and the tight musicanship. Chandler is one of the very few guitarrists that have a style totally of his own. Fortunatly his long standing sidekick Steve Christey is still on board with his discreet, but every effective and unique, drumming technique.

More fortunate still is the fact that the new members Arman Vardanyan (keyboards) and Andy Marlow (bass) fitted right in, and they sound like they were in the band forever. In fact I did not miss Orford nor Jowitt at all! Marlow, specially proves that jadis has kept their fame of having always terrific bass players on board. Vardanyan keys are also perfect for the band´s sound delivering a subtle, but fine, background landscape for the guitar-led sound of Jadis. If you´re looking for long instrumental jams or explicit displays of technique, go search somewhere else. But if you like prog rock with lots of subletleties, great songwriting and fine melodies, welcome!

With a fine production and powerful performances, the songs flow evenly without lows. All the tracks are good and I always hear the whole CD without skipping a single tune. However, the opener Why Can´t I Be Me is definitly a highlight, with its inspired intro, great guitar licks all over, thumping bass and dreamy keyboards. Certainly this song will be featured in any serious future compilation, alongside with their classics like Daylight Fades or the Beginning And the End. More Than Ever is another favorite in an album full of good stuff. Chandler´s guitars never sounded so conspicuous and so original.

Conclusion: in an year (2012) where several of my fave bands did not really released some of their best CDs, See Right Through You was a more than welcomed surprise. A fine return to form for this legendary band that proves they still can deliver one of their strongest albums after all these years. Whatever the reasons why they did it, I hope they keep on this track for the next works. Final rating: 4,5 stars at least. Highly recommended!