GLASS SHADOWS

With Glass Shadows the change in the lineup is dramatic. First of all, as I have written in a forum's post, Angela Goldthorpe/Gordon has left the band, replaced by Olivia Sparnenn who featured as guest on previous albums and by Anne Marie Helder. Well the two girls are not able, in my opinion, to replace Angela effectively. Also Heather's voice appears unusually flat without the backing vocals and the arrangements of Angela.

Something in the band is broken. Another drummer is gone, Iain Jennings and Lian Davison are not credited so this is mainly a Josh's solo work even if Davison is credited as author on "Until The Story Ends" (a very appropriate title).

The album is more acoustic than the predecessors and the songwriting is not bad, what is missed is the band. "Flowers For Guns" is a very interesting track as it's very close to Renaissance. It's like Annie Haslam is beyond the stage.

However this is no longer Mostly Autumn. "Paper Angel" has still something of the old band. In general the parts mainly made of piano and voice like "Above The Blue" are good but this reflects the fact that this is not an ensemble. Only the already mentioned "Until The Story Ends" has a bit of celtic flavor, because of the flute, but it's nothing special.

Well I'm not disturbed when I listen to this album, it can easily run in the background when I'm doing something else, I don't dislike it, at least not totally.

"A Different Sky" is a good closer which contributes in leaving the listener with a positive sensation, but it's not enough for me. It also represents the end of the band which will later release "Go Well Diamond Heart" that's for me their worst thing after the "PinkFloyd Revisited" DVD.

Sorry, but I can't give it the third star.