RABBIT IN THE VESTIBULE

Canadian act Half Past Four was born in 1999 in Toronto, Canada by two ex-Soviet imigrants, bassist Dmitry Lesov and guitarist Constantin Necrasov.They were joined soon after by another ex-Soviet, the Ukranian keyboardist Igor Kurtzman and the first line-up was completed in 2005 with the addition of female singer Kyree Vibrant.After a demo recording in 2006, Half Past Four focused on the creation of their debut CD, eventually released in 2008 with the title ''Rabbit in the vestibule''.The group was helped by drummer Art Pisanski and a few guests on sax, violin and choirs.

The style of the group is a quirky, flexible and energetic Progressive/Art Rock, which draws various influences, starting from pop sensibilities and ending even in furious Jazz realms.At times they remind of a more accesible ECHOLYN with bits from MAGENTA, minus the strong symphonic vibrations, as Half Past Four's sound is closer to Prog/Fusion.However the album is filled with some nice melodies and good guitar solos among the song-oriented pieces.Kurtzman seems to be the central figure of an album that is far from trully keyboard-oriented.An accomplished musician, which offers jazzy electric piano paces, smooth piano lines and nervous synthesizers with a great comfort.The guitar parts of the album are also pleasant, especially some great solos.Half Past Four's music contains tons of Jazz/Fusion influences, always supported by accesible song-based arrangements: plenty of jazzy pianos, some Latin-influenced drumming, some sax solos, while even the synth-driven parts have a discreet Fusion touch.But of course there are a lot more going in this band's approach, which contains also hints of Pop, Cabaret Music and Country.My only disagreement comes from Kyree Vibrant's voice, which is expressive and dynamic, but not on the same par as the trully artistic vibe of Half Past Four's music.

A nice debut, which can find fans among different music genres: From quirky Art/Pop to powerful Prog/Fusion.Lots of styles in a solid mix of accesible tunes.Recommended.