Last year I did a review on Tim Burness' previous release Whose Dream Are You Living? (2017, see review). I wasn't quite impressed overall, but it was a nice and listenable album. With that in mind I'm curious about this one, titled Interconnected . Will it show progress? Interconnected opens with Electric Energy, a eighties sounding track that is dominated by electronics and could easily be done by Thomas Dolby. The second song (I am Afraid) tries to be dark and it wouldn't be out of place on a (again) eighties soundtrack of a B movie. It doesn't hit the spot for me. The link to Pendragon isn't only made by the drummer Fudge Smith but also by the voice of Mr. Burness that reminds me of Nick Barrett. Freedom gets you more in the Prog. mood. The nice guitar riff in the background that erupts in a listenable solo. The tension in this song combines nicely with the message. Dear Stranger on the other hand doesn't. Funny, poppy, but not for me. The next 4 tracks continue in the same fashion. Not mentioning the short (A Shorter Space) track in the middle. Sometimes diverse mainly synth driven with a hint of guitars and the vocals of Tim now and then accompanied with some choruses. I am recognising sounds from the synths mostly done by Monty Oxymoron, that I personally like. It seems that Beautiful World is the only track that really deserves to be called a real “Prog” song on this album. 7+ minutes is a step in the right direction. Slow, a serious note in the lyrics. A little a bit of Pink Floyd. Although the old Castanarc was shooting through my mind too. To be mentioned as he plays the nice solo's on guitars is Julian Tardo. One More Time closes this album. Funny. That's all. Overall this album is 35 years late. The variety in poppy styles makes it nice and colourful. But not really interesting in this era imho. Unless you want a nostalgic look back to the eighties. He interprets it in his own way that's for sure. *** Erik van Os (edited by Dave Smith) Where to buy? |
