Their previous album All I Have Is Of My Own Making had tinges of Porcupine Tree and Camel, neatly sidestepped the pitfalls of ‘second album syndrome’ and proved that Mogador were a band on the rise. The only hindrance to their progress was in the occasionally flawed singing, and by way of redress this album contains guest appearances by five vocalists, the most notable being current Yes singer, Jon Davison.
Mogador are always keen to hang an album on a concept, and this focuses on the influence that absinthe had on artists, poets and writers. It’s a clever idea which sees the band putting the writings of Emily Bronte, Lord Byron and Edgar Allan Poe to music, but it’s done in a way that’s not as contrived or pretentious as that may sound.
It’s hard to imagine Emily Bronte partaking in anything harder than a schooner of sherry, yet the imaginative lyrical idea matches the wide-ranging, ambitious and often striking musical backing.
The Kate Bush-inspired She Sat And Sang, the jaunty We Never Said Farewell and their extravagant instrumentals showcase Mogador’s distinctive style, which should see them garner growing respect.
