BOTH WORLDS

It's the first album I've listened from this band. I don't know whether their later stuff is better or more matured. What you get here, is your typical predictable pop-ish Neo"prog" sometimes a bit more rocking, sometimes with tender cheerful ballads, good for romantic hours with your girl-friend. Musicianship and vocals are quite good, I've to admit. If you're looking for easy listening stuff,this is the right stuff for you. But for me it's not the type of music I can't get crazy about. Quite boring I've to say! For very die-hard NeoProg-fans only!!

If ever you would like to listen to a simple and pop progressive music, "For Absent Friends" might be one out of many bands out there who could be of interest.

But be warned, their music is "user-friendly" and not extremely varied. This album contains some good and melodic songs like "Both Worlds" but it is difficult to find a real highlight. I also believe that the name they have chosen is more appropriate for a "Genesis" cover band.

The music displayed in this album has little to do with the early history of the great band we all love. Vaguely inspired when they were three, maybe ("Never Ending Rain") but I guess that we all agree that these weren't their best times.

This album won't be the desert island one. Because after several spinning, you will get bored, I'm afraid. The good point from this album is the guitar play which stands out if compared to the other instruments. The lead singer isn't bad per se, but his tone of voice is rather mellow which doesn't really keep the interest in their music very high ("Still Loving You").

I think that the worse in here is "FAF" (for absent friends.). A syrupy ballad which you would just like to skip (even if it features a good acoustic guitar section). The end of the song being really boring and cliché (thunderstorm, rain .).

This album is more pop than prog oriented IMO. Just listen to the intro of "Tell Me" to get the confirmation. Still, its length will allow some more variety than usual. But don't expect miracles.

"Both Worlds" is best heard while you are doing another activity. Pleasant backing music but there is no need to sit down and depict it extensively. It is the type of album that sounds pleasant while you hear it for the first time. But the more you do so, the more you notice that it is flat.

Two stars.

I feel a bit sorry to give this album only 2 stars because it's actually quite a nice melodic pop- rock record with some prog traces, but evaluated as a prog album it really does not deserve more. Imagine gathering the most melodic-pop fragments of bands like Pendragon, Jadis, Iluvatar and even a bit of Fish-era Marillion (the title track starts with an arpeggio reminiscent of "Lavender") and making a collection, and you get an idea of what this album sounds like.

All the songs are very melodic and pleasant, easy listening without requiring concentration, the voice of singer Alex Toonen is good, the production is good, there is enough variation in tempos and moods, and the sound is typical neo-prog, but it does not offer much more than this.

It contains a few prog elements here and there but too few to be really considered as proper prog rock. If the guys would have developed these musical themes in a bit more elaborated and proggy way, this album could be a respectable contender to other neo-prog bands like Jadis, Illuvatar or Clepsydra, but as it is, it remains mostly in the category of pop-rock.

The instrumentation is correct but not complex, with only the guitar trying to make something a bit more interesting (a very little bit).

If your girlfriend (or boyfriend) does not like prog and you are looking for some compromise music which she will like and you will not dislike too much, this album can be a good option.