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░ ██ ██ Artist: Cirrus Bay ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Places Unseen █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-01-03 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: self-released ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ I rarely give an album 5 stars. And in fact, this █
█ is the only Cirrus Bay album that I feel is worth █
█ the rating. But this album hits all the sweet █
█ spots for me. I like the fact that it is about 2/3 █
█ instrumental (previously most all my favorite █
█ moments of theirs were the instrumental sections). █
█ But new vocalist Tai Shan has such a beautiful █
█ voice that I actually enjoy the vocal sections █
█ just as much. The writing is top notch on this █
█ album. The music is a perfect blend of beautiful █
█ and complex, and the playing also seems better on █
█ this album than previous albums. My favorite is █
█ clearly the album's finale, "Second Departure". █
█ Wow what a beautiful piece of music. And █
█ "Horseback to Hanssonland" is a wonderful tribute █
█ to Bo Hansson, capturing the mood of his music █
█ very well. "The Sheltering Cove" and the title █
█ track are also lovely. The cover artwork is also █
█ outstanding, a perfect fit. I can tell this will █
█ also be a grower, as usual. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ I received a copy of the latest Cirrus Bay album █
█ entitled Places Unseen! It is their 5th venture █
█ into the commercial world of music! I will say █
█ right up front.....this is my favorite Cirrus Bay █
█ effort to date. It is an album that will find a █
█ place in your CD player. Cirrus Bay has crafted █
█ and polished their progressive sound with Places █
█ Unseen. They have a new female singer (Tai Shan) █
█ that has a beautiful voice and can bring out the █
█ feelings to the music. This album has elements of █
█ Genesis, ELP, Bo Hansson, Renaissance and for me █
█ even a bit of Jade Warrior to it. While all the █
█ tracks on the album are well done....there are █
█ some tracks which stand out for me. The first one █
█ is First Departure....it is something that I have █
█ never heard Cirrus Bay do and they do it well █
█ here. It is a progressive rock instrumental track █
█ which is one of the best things they have done. It █
█ is a strong track that is dynamic and flowing. The █
█ second track of note for me is Horseback To █
█ Hanssonland.......it is a great tribute to the █
█ late Swedish progressive rock musician Bo Hansson. █
█ I am sure he would have been pleased with Cirrus █
█ Bay's recognition of him. The next song which █
█ caught my attention was Boats......Tai Shan sings █
█ this song with great feeling and it's very nicely █
█ done. Finally the instrumental Second Departure █
█ also will send your CD player into repeated █
█ listening's. Cirrus Bay has found the right █
█ chemistry and formula for this album which will █
█ please any progressive rock fan...........Great █
█ job.......to Bill Gillham and the Cirrus Bay █
█ group! █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Wonderfully, romantic and pastoral music, wich █
█ reminds the listener immediately of Renaissance. █
█ The music mostly based upon piano and acoustic █
█ guitars augmented by drums, synths, electric █
█ guitar, flute and saxophone. Singer Tai Shan is █
█ really a gifted vocalist, wich (as said) resembles █
█ Annie Haslam (Renaissance). █
█ The music is symphonic rock as we knew it in the █
█ seventies; comparisons to Caravan, Genesis, █
█ Renaissance, Camel are easily made. The music and █
█ vocals really makes the listener dream about lush █
█ landscapes and warm summer days. The overall feel █
█ is sweet, kind, naive, dreamy and intellectual. █
█ When the soloing takes place, you know this is █
█ progressive rock, but the soft parts keeps you █
█ dreaming and relaxing. █
█ I haven't heard a modern release of this high █
█ standard in a long, long time. Really recommended █
█ to Renaissance-fans, but any progressive rock fan █
█ should try this one out. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Places Unseen 6:53 ░
░ 2. First Departure 11:05 ░
░ 3. Songs Unheard 3:46 ░
░ 4. Dimension 7 5:12 ░
░ 5. The Sheltering Cove 6:51 ░
░ 6. Horseback to Hanssonland 5:08 ░
░ 7. Boats 5:47 ░
░ 8. Second Departure 10:35 ░
░ 55:17 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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