ALL THE KINGS AND QUEENS ARE DEAD, FINALLY.

I once felt that Will-o-the Wisp set the bar so high with their four gorgeous studio releases few years back, that no contemporary Greek band would be able to follow in such dauntingly huge footsteps. Maybe, just maybe, the Jesterdays can prove this wrong.

The quintet from Thessalonica haven't been around long and seem to live mostly on the web for anyone outside their immediate region. Concerts, interviews and the like are sparse. On this, their first and to-date only album the band takes a laconic, dreamy approach to their music that is not at all unlike Will-o-the Wisp. In fact, the similarities of tone, mood and ambience make me wonder how much more of this sort of music is being made on the Greek peninsula and needs to be ferreted out for our collective enjoyment.

Lead singer Chrysanthi Tzortzoglou has an emotive and warm psych/folk voice. She greatly enhances the mystic tone set by acoustic guitars, bass and violin which spend much of their time all operating quite independently, yet the players manage to complement each other to yield a cohesive whole to the music. English-speaking listeners may be challenged by the lyric delivery, as even after several plays I'm not sure exactly what is being sung or why. The three-part "Dreams of Flesh and Bones" conjures images of misty forests crossed with mossy brooks and populated by a numinous realm of magical creatures, but at the same time at its core the music hints of things vaguely dark and foreboding. Not the sort of thing one would typically listen to on a sunny summer day for sure, but perfect for the cool evening around a fire or lazing about in a nature setting.

The band refers to their music as indie-folk with pagan undertones, but the arrangements are quite developed and steeped in traditional folk, while at the same time too lush for what typically passes for indie-folk. As for "pagan", that term conjures for me thoughts of Comus or Spires that in the Sunset Rise or even Espers. These guys seem too pleasant and down-to-earth for such comparisons, but who know what they may reveal in future works. The opening track "Always the Jester, Never the Fool" could possibly be classified as indie- folk if considered on its own, but in the context of its introducing the meandering but strong suite that follows it comes across more like song of a seductive wood nymph drawing the listener in with a deceptive façade of innocence and beguiling charm. In truth the entire album retains a certain level of casual familiarity, but musically what follows the opener demonstrates the ability to shape-shift with alternating timings and tones in a way most indie music can at best weakly imitate. These guys are the real thing.

The Jesterdays prove their musical prowess with this debut release, leaving little doubt as to their musical credentials. I for one am looking forward with anticipation to what comes next, as the group shows great promise and has so many directions they could easily and logically take what they've begun. Three stars for a solid first effort, and well recommended for just about any progressive music fan.

peace