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Review:
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Web information, written by multi-instrumentalist/main
composer Erik De Beer: “This is the re-mastered version
of “The FINNISHING TOUCH”. For this official release some
of the songs have been remixed, while three new tracks have
been added. The main theme on this album is built rather
freely around the charming anonymous melody of a sad Finnish
folksong entitled Tuoll On Mun Kultani. The harmonisation
of the song is made by me, thus leaving me all possibilities
to change it to the different styles of music. We have made
it a classical piece, jazzed it up a little, made it a synthesizer
piece, turned it to melodic metal and finally ended it in
a happy folk-dance. On this album we have mixed jazz-rock
to symphonic rock, trying to create a dynamic sound. Apart
from the new compositions we also recorded some oldies like
Little Alice and I Miss You More, both performed in the
early eighties by power-rock trio Brancard. The songs Without
Tears, The Missing Drink and the bonus-track Desire are
taken from the Zoundworks repertoire of 1984. The piece
Saudades De Sor is a jazz piece built around a chord progression
of the 19th century composer Fernando Sor. It’s performed
on a copy of one of Sor’s guitars, a Panormo of 1828”. ***
I was very curious to this effort because it’s only
a few weeks ago that I wrote a review about his wonderful
keyboard driven album Modinha. After a few listening sessions
I conclude that the sound on The Finnishing Touch (nice
play of words) is in the vein of Modinha: the focus is very
much on melody and the harmonic interplay between the musicians,
especially Erik his keyboards and Jason his harder-edged
guitar work (heavier and more omnipresent than on Modinha).
Erik De Beer his way of composing reminds me of other classically
trained musicians in progrock bands like Ekseption (featuring
Erik’s hero Rick Van Der Linden) and Sky (at some moments
Life Line Project even sounds similar to Sky like Saudades
De Sor). The music range from mellow atmospheres with instruments
like the piano, oboe, classical guitar and flute to catchy
and swinging mid-tempo rhythms and more heavy and bombastic
climates with biting and distorted electric guitar leads
and spectacular keyboards sounds (Emersonian Moog flights
and powerful Hammond organ runs). The short title track
strongly evokes Steve Hackett his classical guitar sound
while Andy Latimer fans will enjoy the more sensitive and
moving electric guitar play in compositions like I Miss
You More, Without Tears and the beautiful final track Desire
(also featuring warm contributions on oboe, flute, classical
guitar along jazzy piano and fat synthesizer flights). ***
This Dutch formation has very pleasantly blended classical,
rock, jazz and symphonic, embellished with a lush instrumentation
and good work on keyboards and guitar.
Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!]
Erik
Neuteboom
Progwalhalla.nl
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