ARCANE

The blend of neo prog and folk offered by Joran Elane and her band is not new by any means, with MOSTLY AUTUMN and KARNATAKA immediately coming to mind. ELANE tends to favor the Gothic and melancholic atmospheres and chooses arrangements that enhance the vocals of its namesake, particularly whistles and strings. Still, "Heart of the Desert" more recalls SEAL than anyone, so the group is not above crafting pop oriented compositions.

While much of this is enjoyable, particularly the surprisingly spirited "Magdalena" that cross pollinates with ABBA, the DEAD CAN DANCE like "Samarkand", "Arcane Ride (especially the lead guitar solo near the end), and the two ultimate cuts, a dreary sonnet set to music, and the harmonious anthem, I find it never quite takes off for me. The album is overly weighted to the mellow, and some of the instrumental segments seem to take few chances, but this it's still a cut above, say, BLACKMORE's NIGHT in that department, even if it lacks the forbidden pleasure aspect of that better known band.

"Arcane" does not quite live up to its name, being relatively easy to understand musically. Still and all, an air of peculiarly German mystery does hang about this effort. As long as you don't mind knowing the plot in advance, it's a pleasant excursion.