Three albums in and Willowglass continue to produce clever, if somewhat derivative, instrumental old-school prog. Such are the overwhelming musical connections, it’s perhaps surprising that the band are called Willowglass and not Willow Farm, after the Genesis track.
Centred around talented Yorkshire multi-instrumentalist Andrew Marshall, and with Steve Unruh adding valuable strings and flute, it’s apparent that pushing at musical boundaries isn’t exactly a priority. Ironically though, the mere fact that tracks such as The Dream Harbour and both parts of A House Of Cards sound as though they have been performed by Genesis circa 1973 is a compliment in itself.
Marshall’s ability to pack elegant melodies into each of the tracks here just enhances his reputation as a shrewd composer. The acoustic Helleborine is introspectively calm, and despite the childlike, Bontempi organ sound that fleetingly appears in The Face Of Eurydice, it’s an unexpectedly assertive track.
However, there’s still the nagging thought that, for all the dexterity, utilising a vocalist would provide the missing dimension. It also makes you wonder what Marshall could achieve if he used his flair to create something truly original.
