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Izz is one of those "little" bands
that you have to pull for and wish they could find a wider
audience. They really have quite a unique sound and I have
a difficult time coming up with some names of other bands
they sound like. At least on their fourth installment, "My
River Flows", they occasionally sound to me like the Beatles
if the Beatles had hung around and done Prog. ***
Izz use some ingredients that make
them an interesting and satisfying listen. The band employs
a couple of percussionists and they include some female voices
in some of their pieces which are very refreshing. They are
solid songwriters and good musicians.***
I really like their guitarist -
Paul "Brems" Bremner. The guy is a major talent. (He pulled
off a nice Steve Howe impression on "Close To The Edge" at
last year's appearance at CalProg.). I am not sure what he
was doing before Izz but I will continue to watch for him
in the years to come beyond Izz.***
If the world of Prog is divided
into Dark and Light, Izz is on the "Lite" side. Sort of a
Kino-lite. This may be what keep them from scaling the heights
of Prog. They will never be mentioned by "serious" Proggers
in the same breath as the Flower Kings, Neal Morse, et al.
This is Prog my 23-year-old daughter appreciates (to a certain
extent).***
That said, there should be a place
in your CD collection for Izz. They write solid, smart, beautiful
music. They are a nice diversion. And then there is always
"Brems".***
Tracks:
My River Flows -
Begins the proceedings in an almost
headbanging fashion. Some nice chunky guitar work by Brems.
The song sounds a little disjointed at first but grows on
you over time.***
Late Night Salvation -
This song seems to be getting the
most attention even over the album's epic - Deafening Silence.
A mini epic itself, one almost hears echoes of Liquid Tension
Experiment on the front end.***
Rose Colored Lenses -
My least favorite tune on the album.
Deception - This is really a satisfying piece. It has a very
atmospheric, symphonic feel to it. Includes some nice acoustic
guitar work and female voices. Starts soft and subtle and
crescendos nicely at the end. Good vocal work by keyboardist
Tom Galgano.***
Crossfire -
An OK song. This is where I hear
shades of Abbey Road-era Beatles. Tasteful piano by Tom.***
Anything I Can Dream -
Again, a little Beatle-esque. Almost
a throw away. Sort of like Starlight Man on TFK's "Adam and
Eve" but I love it (and I love Starlight Man, too!). OK, I
am a sucker for a good hook. John does a good job on vocals
and Brems throws in some cool fuzzy guitar lines.***
Abby's Song -*** A little acoustic
ditty. This is weird, but I hear Captain Beyond's "Sufficiently
Breathless" only this is not quite as good.***
Deafening Silence -
This is the Cd's epic. It received
a standing ovation at CalProg. I liked it then and I like
it now. So it sounds more like Starcastle than Yes. It is
still very entertaining.***
All in all, I think I like 2002's
"I Move" better, but there is still a lot to like about "My
River Flows".***
Rating: 7.5/10.0
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