Home News Site Updates Announcements Contests Year-End Poll Concert Calendar Festival Calendar Reviews The Music Box Progressive Voice Prog'n Roll U.F.O. Closer To The Edge Muzikman Reviewz Other Views Moving Pictures Features Interviews Articles Ruminations The Prog Life The Gallery Exhibits Release Calendar PW's Top Picks Extras NEARfest Progpower ProgDay ProgWest BajaProg Bollenberg   Johansson Exp The Beatles Listening Station 1 Listening Station 2 Links Attention Surplus   Disorder Ytsejam.com Artists Labels Ezines & Magazines Radio Vendors Prog Sites General Music Sites Message Boards Audio Samples Mailing List Feedback Message Board About PW Contacts/Email	Singularity - Between Sunlight And Shadow
	Released: 2002 Label: Independent Cat. No.: Total Time: 43:28
	Reviewed by: Stephanie Sollow, April 2003 Forget everything I said about Singularity in my review of their debut Colour Of Space. Gone entirely is anything resembling Rush on their latest Between Sunlight And Shadow. In fact, at times space rock would be more apt, but more in terms of electronic artists like Kevin Braheny, Jonn Serrie, etc. than Hawkwind. Oh, there are metallic moments here, too, but mostly it is floaty, breathy something often approaching soft rock. Vocals are by all three members, keyboardist John Green, guitarist/bassist Matt Zafiratos and.drummer Jamie McGregor. The album consists of one track broken down into 15 parts. This might make you think of Echolyn, who recently released mei (though here the parts are separate tracks). And in that there is something distinctively "American" about American prog, there are some vague similarities here between the bands (The organ in "Ground Zero" for example). And when I say that, what really comes to mind is America. If America were a little proggier let's say. There is some wonderfully delicate guitar work on "Invictus" and some haunting bass work on "Stratum," a piece that might make you think of Porcupine Tree. That is, moody, arty, dark. And into this a tight, tart latter-day Genesis/Tony Banks-like keyboard phrase takes centerstage for a moment. "Endless" gets even darker, gothic even. Yes, you can just imagine black robed figures standing in the shadows, faces hidden by billowing cowls. Though, interestingly, the chanted lyrics are meant to be reassuring. Ah, but are they? "Flight" goes into neo-prog territory with hints of a tango, given the sometimes sharp turns the arrangement takes – to soft edged to be called angular. No that'll come later in "Coming Undone," but it doesn't last for long. This kind of thing recurs in "Metamorphosis." The is followed up by "Inferno" which is where Singularity get very heavy, pounding with a metal fury, building from an intro of crisp percussion and a riff that reminded me of Heart's "Barracuda." It is a gloomy, dark metal-like passage that often swirls with a near sonic fury, mainly in the sometimes angry guitar work from Zafiratos. That sweet, light and lyrical notes immediately follow show the broad range with which he can play. So too Green, as he can play a floaty synth part just as well as a warm, sparse or tinkly piano phrase. In "Hold A Candle" you will simultaneously think of IQ and Marillion circa 1997. It is not a great CD. Some passages seem a tad overlong and the vocals aren't always strong and true, but it is an interesting CD. Musically it has what many of us seek, a varied and textured recording. Like mei, it is a musical journey that takes you through varying emotions. What ties everything together, as you might expect, are musical phrases repeated at different points during the album, sometimes in different contexts, sprouting tangents. While not great, it is a rather good CD. Rating: 3.75/5 More about Between Sunlight And Shadow: Track Listing: Between Sunlight And Shadow (43:28) I. Drive – II. Invictus – III Stratum – IV Endless – V Flight – VI Inferno - VII In Passing – VIII All Comes Down – IX Ground Zero – X Still – XI Hold A Candle – XII Traces – XIII Metamorphosis – XIV Coming Undone – XV Infractus Musicians: John Green – keyboards, vocals Jamie McGregor – drums, vocals Matt Zafiratos – guitar, bass, vocals Contact: Website: www.singularitymusic.com Note: will open new browser window Discography Lenses (1997) (ep) Colour Of Space (1999) Between Sunlight And Shadow (2002)
	[Review Index]  [Home]  [Top] © Copyright 2003 ProgressiveWorld.net