The Horn Of Plenty is the latest album released by the Dutch outfit The Boxx Orchestra. Already their second album after making their debut with Out Of The Boxx, which was released November 2021. For people who read on a daily basis the articles on our website they are certainly not an unknown act. We already published two concert reviews of their shows in the Netherlands. Moreover several concert videos of them can be enjoyed as well on our Live Videos page. The Boxx Orchestra, founded in 2016 by composer player Jan Boekestein, features keyboard player Boekestein, Ria Mulder on lead vocals, Jos van der Zanden on guitars, Walter Hüsstege on bass and Kees Schollen on drums. Their almost fifty minutes long album has nine album tracks which are not too complex music wise. But they can certainly be categorized as progressive rock! The album starts with Daybreak on which the highlight is the great guitar solo at end of the composition. It is followed by Message At The Bleep and has another fine guitar solo. It is only too short. Next up is Go For The Night on which you can hear the typical Wurlitzer electric piano sound which you can hear on many songs made by Supertramp. Furthermore the guitar parts are also rather entertaining. Simple Love Songs is next. As the title already indicates it is a simple love song with a short guitar solo in the middle section. No more no less. It is followed by the title track. The Horn Of Plenty is about the mess we humans have made of this world due to greed and over consumption. With such a message the music has to be more serious. And yes that's what the band gives you. Lots of drama is included in the playing on the keyboards and guitars. The synthesizer and guitar parts are really strong on this piece of music. Follow up Make Me Feel Alive is another rather simple tune with a nice organ solo. Another rather short mellow piece is next. Won't Recover includes some nice parts played on the acoustic guitar that accompany the vocals. Next up is without doubt one of the musical highlights on the album. One To Fit has a great impressive intro performed on the keyboards. The Supertramp classic Fool's Overture certainly comes to mind when you hear it. A great guitar solo and some fine parts played on the organ and piano proves that this song belongs to the best track on the entire album. A Friend ends this maybe too short album. It's a rather short up tempo song. A sing-a-long song that makes everybody clap at the end of a show. With The Horn Of Plenty The Boxx Orchestra certainly made a strong successor to their debut album Out Of The Boxx. Complements go most of all out to their strong female singer, who's voice sometimes reminded me of the way Toyah Wilcox sings. Also the bands keyboard player and guitarist shine occasionally on their instruments. And that's what we lovers of progressive rock like to hear. As for the rhythm section they do their best to keep everything together and to come up with the right beat when it is needed. So all in all, a very solid pass with this second effort. So well done all! ***+ Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
