THE WORLD THAT WE DRIVE THROUGH

The Tangent is an interesting musical entity, whether it be for the variety of influences of their sound, including a bit of classic 70s progressive rock, a bit of Canterbury Scene, occasional disco bits, and all on the premise that they are especially partial to jazz, fusion, and even lounge music, or for the complexity their compositions, or for the fact that one never really knows what exactly to expect from them. On top of that, the band is known for an impressive roster of members, ultimately becoming quite a fluid entity that openly accepts the particularities brought in by the various musicians that have been associated with it. And finally, there is the voice of Andy Tillison, not a trained vocalist but able to give the music a very idiosyncratic quality, that I am personally quite fond of.

The second album by the band pretty much expands the musical ventures of their debut, significant for the length of the multi-section compositions and the very jazzy and melodic approach towards progressive rock, or at least, The Tangent's rendition of it. This 2004 release is once again incredibly energetic, yet reflective at the same time, as Tillison has never been shy of political or social commentary. The opening track 'The Winning Game' has to be among the darker pieces released by the band, including some great interplay between Roine Stolt and Andy Tillison, preserved throughout the entirety of the album. The following two tracks are more upbeat, drawing upon a wider variety of sounds that range from lounge jazz, as it was previously mentioned, to folk and classic rock. It nevertheless becomes obvious that the album lacks in originality, especially compared to the band's debut from a year before. There are several moments on these very tracks, despite being the shorter ones on the album, which are either too derivative, or a bit outdated. The final two tracks are once again multi-part epics, quite moody and vibrant at the same time, going through various intriguing instrumental passages. All of a sudden one realizes that the music of The Tangent can be quite a difficult listen as well, and while it might be engaging and pleasing, it can easily shift to being tiring, and even self-indulgent. I believe this is generally why 'The World That We Drive Through' is a difficult follow-up to the otherwise quite promising first record; it has a good balance between prog memorabilia and actually fascinating and adventurous musical passages.