THE LORELI

The Loreli, Quasar's second officially released album (a preproduction cassette of an earlier version of the album, entitled Forgotten Dreams, has apparently circulated to a very limited extent), finds band founder Keith Turner cobbling a new lineup together with him as the only performer returning from the Fire In the Sky lineup.

The album's largely in the Quasar style of synth-washed, melodic neo-prog that was pioneered on the debut album, the most notable difference being the presence of Tracy Hitchings on vocals. Some may find her somewhat breathy, highly emotional approach to be a bit of an acquired taste - but then again that seems to be par for the course for neo-prog vocalists - and if you're a fan of her's this release is significant in terms of being her first album appearance, coming out when she was just 20, and her ticket into the world of neo-prog which would later see her undertake projects like Strangers On a Train.

Beyond that, it's essentially pretty good-natured neo-prog which is reminiscent of Fire In the Sky and perhaps a little better produced, but only a little, and not quite as memorable.