WABIąC CIENIE

1. "Motyl" (6:30) after an impressive 90 second opening, things slow down to piano and synth washes supporting the entrance of singer Katarzyna Sobkowicz-Malec. Overall, the music and approach feel quite similar to that of 1995 countrymates QUIDAM--though perhaps a bit heavier, more COLLAGE-like. I am impressed with the composure the band is showing--as if they have all the time in the world in which to unveil their tricks. An excellent song--with no fluff! (9.5/10)

2. "Szary" (4:49) an interesting song with an engaging rhythm track at its core. Reminds me of the French band CHILDREN IN PARADISE. (8.25/10)

3. "Bieg po tęczy" (11:15) a long instrumental that opens with churning/boiling cauldron industrial sounds. At the one minute mark the band bursts forward into a fairly plodding (and spacious) four chord progression before going ART OF NOISE just before the two minute mark. Baby gurgling over washing synth sounds precede the entrance of Katarazyna's classical guitar. Nice. At 3:15 the band returns with a motif that is familiar from ALAN PARSONS PROJECT's "Fall of the House of Usher" suite. Nice lead guitar work in the fifth minute. Keys get their turn in the sixth and seventh. Nice sound, engaging if not very exciting sound palette. Spacey pause at the 7:00 mark leads to eerie pigeon take-off sounds before moving into a pretty section around 8:20. The music builds, thickens, from there, to a satisfying if unspectacular finish. (17.5/20)

6. "Yuppie" (4:59) nice engaging guitar melody and synth chord progression to engage the listener during the opening 45 seconds. Then Katarzyna enters, singing in Polish with some insistence. Synth solo, followed by excellent extended guitar solo, before the music thins to make way for Katarzyna's return--this time singing in a gentler, more sensitive, almost Mediterranean style. Nice song though nothing extraordinary. (8.75/10)

5. "Inny" (5:19) guitar harmonics. Heavy bass chord. Drums. Synth "voice" washes. Katarzyna. A formula for a nice wistful ballad. Very cohesively constructed. The only thing lacking is the "big hook." Katarzyna has a very solid, very confident and versatile voice. (9/10)

6. "Wolna (7:59) piano and synth "voice" support establish the melody line in the forty second opening. Then the full band, working to fill more of the lower end, enters to expand on Krzysztof's work--until it's time for singing, then every dials back or cuts out for Katarzyna to tell us what this is about. The instrumental section that follows this first verse is thick, like a PINK FLOYD set up for a Gilmour solo--which is exactly what proceeds: another great Jerzy Antczak solo. At 3:33 we open up again for Katarzyna's singing. The 4:30 transition into heavier, thicker territory is quite magical--with layers of voices assisting Katya. Then we move into a lovely little carpeting of Richard Wright-like Fender Rhodes play, which morphs into a little "Tubular Bells" before the full band bounces back in with its thick Neo Prog support for the final minute. Nice. (13.5/15)

7. "Cienie (8:10) a very slow, gentle soundscape opens this--and continues into the first verse of Katarzyna's singing. The, at 2:15 a horrible sounding acoustic guitar enters strumming away in a repeating descending four chord progression. Luckily, this section ends and we're back to the "Mercy Street"-like section for Katarzyna to sing over again. As the tension slowly builds, it's good: the horrible strumming acoustic guitar is replaced by Jerzy's electric guitar and then his soaring soloing. Unfortunately, for me this is the weakest song on the album. (11.5/15)

Total Time: 49:01

They have all the sounds, all the chops, all the tricks, mature compositions, and great engineering, they just lack that little extra oomph! or hook to take us over the top.

B/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially if you're into engaging, well- composed, well-engineered Neo Prog.

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