Short Reviews [Band of Rain - 2021 - "The Sun King"]

There have been some more changes in the Band of Rain camp since 2020's 'Petrichor', which in itself, had seen some major moves. Chris Gill is still there of course, on guitars and keyboards, as is Jon Camp (Renaissance) on bass, but while Robert Webb (England) is still on keyboards, he has also now taken on the role of lead vocals as Matthew Corry is no longer involved and we have a new drummer in Zsolt Galantai and Michael Steinbacher has joined to provide saxophones and flute. I have followed Chris's career all the way from 2004's 'Deep Space' and is strange to hear him taking such a backseat in a band which was originally a vehicle just for his multi-instrumental talents. Jon's fretless bass is very much a key component of the overall sound, and it is his versatility which provides much of the melodic lead, while the vocals also have a hugely important part to play in a band which is now much more firmly into psychedelic prog or Canterbury than the style which I had become used to. Although Chris has kept the name, this is not what I have come to expect from Band of Rain, and while he is obviously content to now be playing in a band and letting others take the strain, it does not really feel like BoR to me. Putting that to one side, is this a good album? I think the answer must be that it is good but not great, as I am not a massive fan of Webb's vocals, and there are times when the songs appear to be waiting for the next flash of inspiration. Mind you, when Camp decides to be front and centre his bass playing is nothing short of sensational. It is an album with plenty of ups and downs and while enjoyable it is certainly not essential.