Delta Flora

Fusion of the dark, sultry kind, and a good deal more diverse than many such outings. 's use of fuzz bass gives the bottom more rumble than you often hear in this style, and constant touches of various brass and flute keep things from getting too static. The numbers with lyrics, sung by keyboardist in cool chanteuse tones, are certainly the most melodic and accessible of the tracks. For those who favor the more instrumental and challenging face of prog rock-fusion, there's plenty of more free-form passages and some dissonance, as well as some unsettling electronics that can, as in "Ramifications," verge on sinister new age, if that isn't an oxymoron. Indeed sometimes it seems as if there are two different bands at work here -- one vocal, one instrumental -- but that's what makes it more interesting than a lot of records working the prog-jazz-experimental boundaries. The range of sounds is impressive, although the vibe is more calculated and cerebral than passionate. ~ Richie Unterberger