MEI

Echolyn has often been compared to Gentle Giant. Well, the comparison is not exaggerated here again, although Echolyn has its own sound and style. With an ultra-epic and very progressive track here of nearly 50 minutes, Mei is also reminiscent of the progressive bands Transatlantic and Glass Hammer. There are an omnipresent dirty organ and Fender Rhodes notes like on the Gentle Giant's album around 1975: the keyboards are rather vintage. Some flute parts contribute to embellish the overall music. There are some xylophone-like percussions. There are many very good backing vocals. One can notice the presence of some very pleasant strings arrangements, which should have been more numerous. The omnipresent electric guitar a la Gary Green does not want to steal the show. The bass and the drums are played most of the time at a constant moderate speed. The long track is less complex than Gentle Giant, and the overall rhythm is rather slow. The album has something a bit melancholic, but not too much.