WHERE IDEAL AND DENIAL COLLIDE

1. "The Eternal Tree" (2:06) (4.375/5) 2. "Life" (11:31) a murky-sounding song that feels far too simplistic and predictable to possibly be receiving the attention it's been getting. The CAMEL-like bluesy passage starting at 6:10 is almost laughable for its predictability. Adeline Gurtner's lead vocals are weak and so poorly recorded and Olivier, Carina, and Mathieu's background support are just as poor. (17.125/20)

3. "Ethereal Melodies" (7:55) though sounding a lot like the previous song (chords, keys, sound palette, main melody) the band's previous incarnation as medievalists is able to shine through due to the quieter, less bombastic soundscape. Still, I can't fight the domineering feeling that I'm listening to a 2.0 cover band version of one of the older Prog Folk masters (Renaissance, Magenta, Mostly Autumn, Iona) (13.125/15)

4. "Back in Time" (14:24) Adeline and the band's best early Christina Booth/Magenta imitation (which makes them an imitator of Annie Haslem/Renaissance, right?). Mathieu Rossi's e-flute play and Carina's Hammond are quite top notch, even exciting and inspired, but Adeline's Christina Booth-like vocal performance sounds too much like the often-tired-sounding singer she sounds so much like. Too bad she wasn't given some of the theatric voice-acting roles the boys and instruments were given. I like the entertaining circus-like theatrics and more impressive display of instrumental skill and whole-band cohesion. (26.5/30)

5. "Prelude" (1:04) a successful exercise in Vangelism. (4.5/5) 6. "Coexistence - Part I" (11:20) a multi-part instrumental suite that is really just rather bombastic NeoProg--complete with Genesis rhythm tracks, a Pendragon-like environmental theme, and lush IQ instrumental palette. The construction is solid with the flow believable and engaging. The instrumental performances are solid and sometimes almost refreshingly unique (some really nice woodland folk weaves in the fifth and sixth minutes). (I don't really like the DAAL-like passage in seventh and eighth minutes.) The mix of the instrumental palette is pretty decent. Too bad the sound quality is so murky poor. (17.5/20)

Comparisons to Renaissance, Magenta, Mostly Autumn, and Iona are warranted, but only in terms of imitation. The sound quality, however, never reaches the high levels of quality mastered by these other bands; in fact, its the murky sound (and rather rudimentary, by-the-numbers prog) that turn me sour on this music. I really wanted to like this album--the preceding reviews were all very exciting--but my hopes are totally and completely deflated by the product I'm listening to. They have talent: and vision--but they need to grow a lot in the skills department and, moreso, in the sound engineering department. Still, the album does get better both over time (with repeated listens) and the deeper into the album one goes. (My expectations are now adjusted: prepared for the low sound quality (which reminds me of the horribly murky and overly-expansive soundscapes Cornwall-based band of Scots, THE EMERALD DAWN seem fixated on) as well as the inconsistent skill display and often too-imitative compositional quality.

Total Time: 55:55

B-/3.5 stars; a debut album whose inconsistent qualities will, hopefully, improve as the band matures. It is my hope that the band find better studio and engineers and concentrate more on the Prog Folk elements of their music rather than the bombastic NeoProg.

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