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last updated 3 June, 2008
The distinction between genres becomes vaguer with each passing day, making it even more difficult to categorize music. But is that really necessary? The advantage of progressive music and its progressive character is that a space is created allowing access to numerous styles. You can let your imagination run free until infinity.
Mermaid Kiss certainly makes use of that niche whereby all possible influences can be processed. The music comes across as very sensitive, even fragile at times. The female singer has a vocal colour that’s on the edge. It’s so fragile and subtle, yet hoarse and sexy.
You can’t call the compositions ordinary; on the contrary, they’re unpredictable. They have a sort of Peter Gabriel symphonic build up with all it’s drawn out keyboards, strings, pianos, loops, drum computers and bass loops. It’s a very well produced album that’s full of beautiful melodies and a wonderful feeling for harmony with just enough experimental elements to make it all a bit extravagant. You could describe the music as a kind of improved Bjork with a hint of Sinéad O’Conner as well as This Mortal Coil, Sade, Karnataka (without the solo guitar).
The songs “Spirit” and “Sound Chaser” are purely sublime and even gave me goose bumps with all it’s built up emotion and excitement. There’s no trace of a guitar solo so, perhaps, this could be the only negative point about the album.
The melodies are very memorable and after listening to the CD a few times, you can easily file it under ‘peaceful sympho with a feeling for the experimental’. With a solo guitarist and a beast of a drummer, this band could perhaps blossom into a revelation. In any case, they have more than enough ideas and inspiration.
Jany Claeskens
(Translated by Jennifer Summer)
May 2004--Prog-Nose
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