Jadis - Somersault


Year of Release: 1997
Label: Dorian Music
Catalog Number: JAD 001
Format: CD
Total Time: 46:58:00

If you like IQ, Pendragon, and others in the same neo-progressive realm, then you will like Jadis. Which isn't surprising since original members Martin Orford and John Jowitt were also members of IQ. Only vocalist/guitarist Gary Chandler and drummer Stephen Christey return for Somersault, their third album.

This is, like many neo-prog releases, guitar and keyboard driven. Chandler's playing is clear and crisp, the each note crystal clear, especially on the solos. There are times when he reminds me of Karl Groom (Threshold, Shadowland), if only a bit cleaner, and on even rarer occassions, makes me think of Steve Rothery.

As a lyricist, at least on this disc, Chandler is fairly obscure as to what he's really on about. Read on their own, without the music, they seem to be nothing but non-sequiturs - individual lines on their own make sense, but nothing in a larger picture. And yet, with the music, they make perfect sense - if only by the choruses alone.

The standout track is "Losing My Fear" - which is either about someone losing their faith or finding it again - or both. And "Batstein" has a piano phrase towards the end that sounds so darn familiar, but I can't name the artist (and it's driving me nuts).


Tracklisting:
Live This Lie (8:44) / Batstein (6:52) / Speechless (5:34) / Losing My Fear (6:07) / Tomorrow Always Arrives (4:31) / Falling Away (6:50) / Hear Us (9:40)

Musicians:
Gary Chandler - lead vocals, guitars, and backing vocals
Stephen Christey - drums
Steve Hunt - bass
Mike Torr - keyboards and backing vocals
Josten Obers - backing vocals

Discography:
More Than Meets The Eye (1992)
Once Upon A Time (EP) (1993)
Across The Water (1994)
No Sacrifice (EP) (1994)
Once Or Twice (EP) 1996)
Somersault (1997)
As Daylight Fades (1998)
Understand (2000)
Medium Rare (2001)
Alive Outside (2001)
Fanatic (2003)
More Than Meets The Eye -Special Edition (2005)
Photoplay (2006)
See Right Through You (2012)
No Fear Of Looking Down (2016)
More Than Meets The Eye - 25th Anniversary Edition (2017)

Genre: Neo Prog

Origin UK

Added: May 1st 1998
Reviewer: Stephanie Sollow
Score:
Artist website: www.jadismusic.com
Hits: 4179
Language: english

  

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