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░ ██ ██ Artist: Clepsydra ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: More Grains of Sand █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-03-28 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Galileo Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Remastered ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ I have yet to hear Clepsydra's debut, "Hologram", █
█ working my way back in their discography as I am, █
█ but multiple listens to "More Grains of Sand" give █
█ me the idea that the first few songs are layovers █
█ from that album. This is because, in spite of a █
█ solid opening pair of songs, and another █
█ interesting tune "Eagles", the album really seems █
█ to kick into gear with track 5, "Hold me Tight", █
█ which it does right thru track 11, "The Prisoner's █
█ Victory". Regardless, it's enough for another █
█ highly rated work from this premier and criminally █
█ overlooked Swiss-Italian band. █
█ It is the chorus of "Hold me Tight" which █
█ showcases Maggini's emotional magic. "No Place for █
█ Flowers" is a real grower, the first few minutes █
█ passing by unappreciated until a sparkling lead █
█ guitar solo bursts into focus, fading out only to █
█ explode one more time. It is very reminiscent of █
█ some of the work of Collage's Mirek Gil. Once this █
█ climax is fully appreciated, one returns to the █
█ earlier parts of the song to see how, indeed, it █
█ got from A to B. "The Outermost Bounds" is a short █
█ keyboard based ballad with another fine melody. █
█ The transition to the upbeat, almost poppy "Fly █
█ Man" is effective. This song reminds me of mid █
█ period Genesis in their more accessible moments. █
█ "The River in Your Eyes" starts off with just █
█ acoustic guitar played in the Hackett style but █
█ becomes an ambient rocker shifting from █
█ instrumental to vocal passages swiftly and deftly. █
█ It ends with yet another great lead guitar solo █
█ that segues into the graceful, slightly spacey █
█ instrumental "Grain Dance", also dominated by Lele █
█ Hofmann's guitar. Not to say that Philip Hubert's █
█ keyboards play a minor role - they are critical to █
█ the mood setting which is what Clepsydra is all █
█ about. The Prisoner's Victory" is another fine █
█ lengthy piece with a number of themes, and the █
█ album closes with two shorter tracks that are █
█ nowhere near as monumental. █
█ It should be mentioned that if you can't handle █
█ accented vocals, and occasional words that are █
█ mispronounced, you might have some trouble with █
█ Maggini's voice, but otherwise I think there is █
█ much to like here for anyone who tends to the more █
█ melodic side, if not the extreme end, of the prog █
█ spectrum. It's not easy to find Clepsydra █
█ recordings anymore, and I would not tarry, for the █
█ hourglass has nearly emptied, and it may not be █
█ possible to turn it over again. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. The First Grain 0:46 ░
░ 2. Moonshine on Heights 7:12 ░
░ 3. Birthday Party 7:16 ░
░ 4. Eagles 5:54 ░
░ 5. Hold Me Tight 3:18 ░
░ 6. No Place for Flowers 8:04 ░
░ 7. The Outermost Bound 2:53 ░
░ 8. Fly Man 4:09 ░
░ 9. The River in Your Eyes 8:45 ░
░ 10. Grain Dance 2:04 ░
░ 11. The Prisoners Victory 7:15 ░
░ 12. Vienna 4:39 ░
░ 13. The Last Grain 3:33 ░
░ 14. The Missing Spark (Live in Barcelona, 9:46 ░
░ Spain, 1998) (Bonus Track) ░
░ 75:34 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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