BELIEVE

My first reaction to "Believe" was one I am sure I shared with many Pendragon fans, "this is not what I expected from this band". Having listened to it a number of times now though, I am happy to report that Pendragon have come up with another fine album.

There is certainly a harder edge to "Believe" than there was on its immediate predecessors "Out of this world" and "Masquerade overture". The overall feel is more akin to their early albums, including those prior to Clive Nolan's arrival. Indeed, Nolan appears to take a bit of a back seat on this album, with Nick Barrett's guitar work being generally dominant. This tends to disguise the fact that the lush melodies and traditional Pendragon sound are very much alive.

The opening title track is rather misleading in terms of the content of the album. The almost ambient mood of eastern sounds and Celtic female vocals belies the fact that this is Pendragon at all. Only when Barrett announces "And now everybody to the dance floor" prior to a burst of Tom Petty/REM like guitar does the band enter more familiar territory. Even then, the almost growling vocals and cynical lyrics, combined with a conversational use of different voices, immediately make it apparent that Pendragon are trying to move out of their comfort zone.

The feature track is the four part "The wishing well", which extends to over 21 minutes. Essentially four separate tracks combined to form a suite, this epic moves through all Pendragon's fundamentals, including a "Paintbox" like "So by sowest", and some fine instrumental work especially on "We talked". The opening section also includes some spoken narrative, creating a somewhat doomy atmosphere, complemented by the generally harrowing lyrics of the piece.

Pendragon have clearly attempted to explore areas beyond their traditional territory with "Believe", and they are to be applauded for that. While the results are sometimes patchy, with some tracks working better than others, by and large this is a solid album, which appeals more with each listen.

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