I have a confession to make. Tiger Moth Tales is one of those acts of which I know too little and from what I have heard so far acknowledge that there should be more albums in my collection. There you have it. But then, nobody is perfect, and we all have to divide our limited attention between things that present themselves, including music. But still, every time I listen to something from Tiger Moth Tales (and our main editor had the kindness to let me review two so far), I have this clear feeling that I should get ALL the other ones. Soon. Okay, that may have been a spoiler alert. My rating below this review is going to be positive. And while we're at it, let's just spoil this some more: what a wonderful and lovely album this is! The press release typifies it as his Pete Jones' most personal album, and I can see (hear) why. Recorded at the Fieldgate Studios in South Wales with help from Welsh composer Ian Lawson on the arrangements, the album has Pete Jones' warm voice - often Peter Gabriel-like - Grand piano and a string quartet. This makes the sound very intimate, and it is not difficult to imagine Jones sitting behind the piano, singing. It works especially well for pieces such as opener Taking The dawn. This has a very nice arrangement that manages to capture me. Another to mention is Sweeter Than Wine where Pete's emotional voice stands out. If I have to mention something negative, it would be that the album may get a bit one-dimensional over time and I sense that after about 30 minutes, I do long for some more variation and a bit of rock, or at least a synth solo. Well, there is at least Quiet Night with some needed tension and minor chords, although the mood lifts quickly for a romantic part. The Whispering Of The World was released in December last year, so the review is long overdue. On the other side, this is not necessarily a summer album. Get it and use it as a companion for the autumn evenings that are soon to come! Meanwhile, I look forward to a new prog rock album from Tiger Moth Tales. ****- Carsten Busch (edited by Dave Smith) Where to buy? |
