SECOND ALBUM

My mixed feeling for this creation. The "Second Album" released in 1971 by CURVED AIR, an iconic unit in the British Progressive Rock Scene, features kinda mysterious combination of pop, folk, classic, and progressive rock. The overall atmosphere is defined mainly by Sojna's fascinating voices and Darryl's sharp-edged but smooth violin plays, and we can hear through the atmosphere that they might have created a diverse sound collective along with colourful musical backgrounds laid behind the combo. Possibly plenty of elements would amuse and entertain the audience.

On the other hand, we could mention this album is not very unified nor sophisticated, due to their musical polarity like a jack-in-the-box. They stood at the dawn of progressive rock scene around 1970 so, in a good sense, their strategy worldwide would be great really. Sounds like they might produce one of their 'key' songs "Back Street Luv" with catchy melody lines and sensitive lyrics for promoting themselves to the 70s pop scene. "You Know" is jazzy bluesy stuff full of refined percussive rhythms and acceptable melodic texture. The shortest track "Bright Summer's Day 68" is pretty cute and charming chanson-y folk. Such flavour could not be called progressive actually but honest to say they should create to eat, not eat to create.

Anyway the last suite "Piece Of Mind", blended with mystic voices and repetitive, impressive violin sounds, has two appearances - sort of deep, heavy, depressive moment, and dramatic, delightful, theatrical movements seasoned with Baroque spices in the main stage. Lots of symphonic progressive rock fans call this perfect creation as their masterpiece. It's not wrong at all, but let me say, their real progressiveness can be heard via the first enthusiastic blaster "Young Mother" stuffed with various elements that are completely unified and harmonized. And surprisingly this song is definitely dignified with listener-friendly pop essence. We progressive rock fans can be easily knocked out by such a fantastic gem.

Totally, above mentioned, "Second Album" would not be polished enough for progressive rock reviewers to get ultimately satisfied, but we can obviously hear 'their innovative development' through the creation. Therefore, this album is, and will be alive eternally.