So, after the minor gap of eighteen years between albums, the Jaspers decided to take just a year to come back with the next one. Nick Harradence had only ever joined the band to help on the previous recording, and by now he had been replaced by Florin Werner on the drum seat. Sohelia came back to provide vocals on another song, and although there was no Pat D’Arcy, interestingly there was a guest appearance on guitar from Tony Heath, who just like Pat had been a member of the band for the ‘Sting In The Tale’ album, so there is a nice synergy and feeling of completeness.
As with the previous album, this is very much the ‘new’ Red Jasper with a very different musical approach to how they were in the Nineties, more “straight progressive” (if you get what I mean), but still with folky elements. I can’t imagine another band performing a song such as “She Waits” as it starts with a very British almost “oom pah pah” feel before becoming a commercial rocker, and switches between the styles throughout. It is commercial, it is packed full of hooks, and such great fun! There are times when they do remind me somewhat of Credo, but given my incredibly long affiliation with that band I can’t really say that is a bad thing. This album is a real grower, and Florin and Jon have already built up a strong relationship, with Jon having one of the lightest touches on bass that one will come across, with great effect. This partnership allows both Lloyd and Robin to build and throw melodies, solos and swathes of sound around: it certainly sounds as if the guys had a blast recording this, while D.C. is still there at the front providing this different theatrical vocal approach.
D.C. has told me to expect yet another album soon as the guys just can’t stop writing music together, and with such a long gap in their history it really does seem as if they have never been away.
