Curved Air, North Star

For whatever reason I paid almost no attention to the prog rocker British group Curved Air in their heyday. I heard their big hits on the radio and did not hate them; otherwise I was moving into other directions then.

They disbanded and reformed several times and last year recorded a new album, North Star (Curved Air 002). I was sent a copy, listened, and was surprised that I rather liked it. A few months later and here I stand with a review of same.

I like it. They do some of the old songs, some new ones and some covers, notably Lennon's "Across the Universe." The original singer, Sonja Kristina, is there and she sounds fine. Kirby Gregory is on lead guitar and makes a good showing as does violinist Paul Sax.

It's about a prog-psych ambience, some nice prog-type arrangements and a little bit of soloing, and the songs, which strike me as memorable. They get a rich group sound, too.

So if you aren't into prog you may not care for this music. But if you are it is a most pleasant surprise. It's good for all that.