A ROOM OF FAIRY QUEEN'S

After excitedly purchasing this on the basis that it features Edmondo Romano and Valeria Caucino, formerly of Eris Pluvia, I have given it many listens and find it hard to pinpoint why I find it somewhat disappointing. The only excuse I can come up with is that, while the sounds are all there and all so sweet, so much of it appears with no real songwriting or compositional context. I think of progressive music as progressing within a piece of work as well as, optionally but hopefully, within a recording. Here I find neither to be the case. Appealing acoustic and Spanish guitars ring out at intervals and settle back without great impression or emotional impact. Gorgeous lead guitar passages burst forth, coming from nowhere and returning from whence they came. Romantic vocals call out for my approval, yet seem to take no real chances and hide no mystery to be slowly discovered in time. Wistful whistles and bagpipes beckon, but all I can say is "nice". Male and female vox convey elegant melodies that are just a bit to saccharine for even my sentimental tastes.

I like every track here and revel in it from time to time, yet cannot elevate my rating above 3 stars, because, for all the lovely sounds, it's all too ephemeral. I peel back the layers to find there is no essence, no core, nothing enduring that remains.