ESPERANTO

The album is called "Esperanto", after that manufactured language that was supposed to (in it's creator's mind) to become the world's universal language (good luck with that - I bet more people speak Klingon). The first two tracks, possibly in honor of the album title, are based on ambiguous tribal rhythms, with new agey synths filling out the sound. They are not bad, but, in this band's style since they became Windham Hill darlings, very unassuming.

After those two songs, the album reverts back to the new age groove (yawn), emphasizing Kenny G-like soprano sax. The worst offenders are the placid, oops, I mean flaccid songs written by bassist Phil Maggini. That he somehow convinced L Shankar to appear on one song, Tanah Lot, is a miracle (but it doesn't really help).

There are a few more "world beats" that pop up in some of the later songs, but the melodies played over them don't let the songs flourish.

I really hoped that leaving the WH label would allow these guys to break out, and get back to their roots (their first album, "Watercourse Way", was excellent). Sorry.

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