Reviewed by Tim Walker

Any band sharing a name with a Bill Nelson album is guaranteed my initial attention, but the involvement of guitarist Andy Cross (husband of, and collaborator with, Maggi Dawn) in this band is a far better reason to take notice,  It would be too easy to compare the overall sound to Iona's - airy synths, swooping fretless bass, ethereal woodwinds, and Susie Beattie's voice reminds this writer of Joanne Hogg - but the production and songwriting (the latter all by Beattie) lifts Chimera above such convenient pigeonholing.  This is a quality set of songs, yet for some reason this reviewer's reaction is "mmm" rather than "wow".  One gets the feeling that the musicians were holding back, to let the songs come through unhindered - no bad thing in itself, but on the next album I'd personally like to hear the players "cut loose" a bit more.  All the same, an enjoyable listen, which would not disappoint fans of Celtic-tinged rock with jazz inclinations.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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