OF COURSE IT MUST BE

Progarchy's Brad Birzer (lyrics) and Salander's Dave Bandana (music and performance) are back with their second album, where they have again been joined by Olga Kent on violin for a few songs, plus a few other guests. I just wish that they had seen fit to bring in someone for the drums, as the use of programmed drums is still an issue for me. The songs where they are conspicuous by their absence, such as "A View", feel far more balanced and interesting. Overall, I don't feel that this album is as consistent as the debut, as while there are some interesting songs, there are others that just don't have the quality one would expect from a commercially released album, but of course this isn't: it is available free of charge through Bandcamp.

This has much more of the feeling of a self-released demo, and it is a shame as there are undoubtedly some good ideas that are striving to get out, and as I said at the time of the debut, I wish that Brad and Dave would consider turning this more into a proper band as opposed to a project with a few guests. This is laid-back, and feels just too one-dimensional in many ways, which I am sure would be different if there were others involved who could make their voices heard. Of course, with the two guys living in different countries, and Dave (who provides all the music) being in the progressive hotbed that is Lanzarote, that may not be as easy as it sounds. The frustrating thing for me is that there are some genuinely good songs on here, and the introduction to "There Again" alone is enough to get me questioning the above review, but it's just not really enough to make me change my mind. I'd love to hear a little more enthusiasm in this, and by bringing in a drummer, using Olga more, and perhaps some contrasting rock elements then this band could move to the next level, but as it is I doubt I'll be returning to this.