THE MAGIC SPELL OF MOTHER'S WRATH

After their concession-less debut album, the group lost two members (even if both of them end up on the album as guests) but managed to find a new sound and this album is clearly of a much greater interest for progheads. Again recorded in Europe (partly in Paris, partly in London), the music incorporates jazz elements that were previously absent, even if their leader James Cuomo had fiddled around with them in his previous group Spoils Of War, and acid-psych-jazzy-electronic-folk rock ensemble.

After a jazzy opener Homeside, the group returns to their hippie acid folk for a trio of short bluesy-folk tunes culminating in silliness with Plastered In Paris. Retuirning shortly to the jazz realm with Doves Are White and then plungeing for the Joni Mitchell-inspired Cows In My Colourbook, the first side is a bit unfocused and not preparing us for what else is to come.

After the almost a capella Hush and the disturbingly quiet No 5 In The Book, the album reaches its climax with the amazing 9-min+ Rit Yellow (this track was already played with Spoils Of War), and the group shows everything they are capable of with their incredible Spanish Corrida lyrics drama to go with the bolero-flamenco feel of the song the whole thing incredibly sprinkled in jazzy interplay. Cuomo's clarinet sounds a bit like Maneige's Jerome Langlois and the flute answering him is equally excellent and the whole thing just climaxes grandiosely. This track is worth the price alone of the album, even if you get an unremarkable Lady Of The Night to end the record.

Wjhile I would not say that Mormos is one of the most spectacular example of progressive folk, this album is definitely worth the proghead's investigations.