Census of Hallucinations - "The 3rd Eye"
Latest album opens with a sea of ringing guitars, ethereal flute and heavenly wordless vocals, leading you to think there's a whole album of this sort of thing, all a bit Gong-like, a state of play verified by the brief spoken word that follows, before the next song arrives, an acoustic led tune with multi-vocals and samples, the subject matter and arrangements furthering the feel of some Daevid Allen style of things, with an almost early Bowie tinge to the male vocals, and all quite engaging in a stiff-upper-lip British kind of way, yet politically aware and all the better for it. The next few tracks are more synth-led pieces with plenty of soaring layers and all continuing the feel and to a small extent the atmosphere of early Gong, with another influence I couldn't bring to mind. All in all, as a psychedelic set of songs and instrumentals goes, this is a treat. Like the Terri B album above, needs a couple of listens for starters and for me found more of a place in my heart than the aforementioned album by virtue of its use of layers, arrangements, textures and dynamics, not overly song-based, not using the humour of samples too much, creating songs that have weight and elasticity. There's plenty on which to focus, musically, and that's the real attraction, so that while melodic, wide-ranging and psychedelic, it has a beauty that attracts….all a bit like early Gong in fact. Don't expect to find the thing SOUNDS like that band, but I feel sure that if you like them and have a penchant for something similar but different, more synths than guitars, this is an album you'll fall in love with quite easily.
by Andy Gee, CD Services