PINUP GURU

During the second half of the 90's Bodin was caught in the storm of The Flower Kings's constant studio albums, live performances and various commitments.However his first album was licensed by the German/American label InsideOut and was re-released in 1999.In 2002 Bodin eventually returned with a second album on Inside Out, ''Pinup Guru''.It was the first album recorded at the keyboardist's own studio, featuring a reduced line-up with only recent The Flower Kings' bassist and Karmakanic's founder Jonas Reingold and drummer Zoltan Csorsz, who had also joined The Flower Kings around the time.

The second offering by Bodin can be split in two sides.The first half of the album is consumed in a bombastic Symphonic Rock style with full-blown synths, church organ and Hammond organ in the forefront, heavily influenced by the virtuosic side of E.L.P. and very close to the likes of Russians LITTLE TRAGEDIES.The arrangements are well-crafted with a balance between very technical acrobatics and more refined textures with a few melodies added for good measure.Among these nice keyboard exercises there are also plenty of Electronic touches with more spacey synths and a slight Neo Prog attitude in a pair of rhythmic lines.Nevertheless the long opening tracks are very good and characteristic of Bodin's talent.The second half shows a turn into more Prog/Fusion realms and, while the music remains technical and in a high level of execution, it does not sound as inspired as the first half, while at moments it even sounds a bit abstract or tasteless.The addition of electronic loops, choirs and even some Mellotron just confuses the style and the mix of Electronic Music, jazzy interludes, Classical vibes and modern technology ends up to be rather inconsistent.Even so these pieces also contain some nice moments with alternating atmospheric and grandiose themes, while a solid and powerful rhythm section is always present throughout the album.

Another strong effort by Bodin, which actually lacks coherence.The first half of the album deserves several spins and it's a great example of contemporary Symphonic Rock, the second one has its moments, maybe the diverse styles presented should have been more tightly connected.Recommended overall...3.5 stars.