NEW HORIZONS

Unknown US band, that only made on album around the mid-90's.They hailed from New Orleans, originally formed around David Stocker on keyboards, Joel Webb on bass, singer Stan Elder and drummer Tom Larson, while the free translation of their name meant something like ''no other choice''.Elder was replaced by singer/guitarist Richard Bird, the quartet recruited also percussionist Mark Whitacker and headed for the Audiophile Studios in their homecountry to record their debut ''New horizons''.The album was released independently in 1996.

Unlike the title of the album, you won't find any new horizons in this album.But Hobson's Choice had definitely a good smell of the re-emergence of Progressive Rock at the time and they certainly did not need any Spock's Beard to built their style upon.They were clearly influences by the likes of YES, GENESIS and GENTLE GIANT and recalled the music of compatriots ETHOS, MAELSTROM, PENTWATER and the likes to offer a strongly vintage-inspired Progressive/Symphonic Rock with long tracks and lush arrangements.Keyboard work is based on analog equipment with organ and synthesizers as the leading forces, while they guitar moves and bass lines are very much influenced by the classic works of YES.Music ranges from passable to astonishing with nice changes between tempos, odd time signatures, surprising breaks and often a strong sense of melody.Even the vocals have an evident nostalgic aura, coming from the aforementioned bands.Parts of the album are extremely technical with extended interplays, Classical nuances and very dense instrumental passages with impressive keyboard runs and tricky guitar workouts.Very good effort along the lines of Classic 70's Prog.

While the band was short-lived, one Doug Walsh appears to have replaced Tom Larson at some point with no signs of Hobson's Choice further activity.Richard Bird continued his career as a sound technician and recording engineer, having collaborated with Alan Holdsworth among others.

Very good, albeit rather unoriginal US Symph Prog.Despite its limited exposure, this one deserves some spins if you are a fan of the classic era of the genre.Well-played and often quite impressive music, that comes warmly recommended.