Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Three-piece Spy Glass Blue are really the musical brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Allan Aguirre, who at times seems overly self consciously arty. That quibble aside, 'Shadows' betrays a huge early '80s new romantic influence, Encompassing sounds reminiscent of Fripp. Berlin Bowie and Japan, this is a gorgeous atmospheric delight with a fresh sound. The best example is the amazing enigmatic "Me Mine", full of tense ambience as it explores the complexities of relationships. Awesome! "Can You Feel" is a stream of consciousness expression at the horrors of man's sin and the compassion of God. Musically "Stygian" in places is reminiscent of "Rock Lobster"! Then it broadens out into this amazing Eastern European sounding classical melody! Completely breathtaking. Lyrically it rails against the spiritual leader whose vision inspired and the bitterness when their own life falls into sin of adultery'. Totally arty, extremely creative, this feels more like a mainstream release with lyrics that are poetical and full of metaphor exploring the state of the soul leaving the listener to draw their own conclusions and interpret. Don't expect any bold statements of faith and if anything the ambiguity contained here is the biggest frustration of the album. However, as a musical poetical experience, this is a stunning passionate moody album.

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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