|
THE TANGENT A Place In The Queue SPV 48752CD/ IOMCD237 (2006)
Third album from this British / Swedish progressive rock band. Mixing various influences, including King Crimson and Mostly Autumn, it’s a pretty enjoyable affair. Opening tack “In Earnest” (running at a modest 20 minutes) starts off softly, before elements of Yes kick in, every so often falling back to piano, and there’s plenty of soft jazz rhythms and the odd nod at fusion.
The flute, saxophone and strings/keyboards various add to the atmosphere, but it is a little too trippy and/or jazzy, seemingly unsure which category of progressive to be comfortable with.
At 2:15 “DIY Surgery” is over in a blink.
Each idea is excellently worked and arranged, but the variation is a little disjointed. That said, the 10 minute “GPS Culture” and “Follow Your Leaders” take touches of ELP and Asia to the 21st Century.
The closing title track runs at 25 minutes and takes time to build. Non prog fans will lose interest but it is worth a listen.
With 7 tracks covering 80 minutes it’s a long album, and there’s a special edition with a bonus disc.
**½
Review by Joe Geesin
|
