Reviewed by John Hebden

This Prelude should not be confused with the '70s Tyneside folk rockers (who had a hit with "After The Gold Rush") or the current American girl trio band, which features Michael Omartian's daughter. This Prelude offer something approaching rock, come from somewhere in the Maidstone area, and this is their second demo single. The band play some nice guitar but suffer from songs which lack character and obvious hooks. The singing also fails to convince - one line has a nice touch of sensitivity, the next the singer misses the notes. The words are sometimes indistinct but do suggest a fertile imagination in other places, eg, "My eyes see past this melting triumph/Into a stage that you are the only one on." The production tends towards MOR rock, although I liked the Edge-like guitar effects and syncopated drums and bass on the intro to "Vindicated". Shame the guitar goes concrete and flat in the chorus, tending to kill it off. The band probably need some stronger songs and a more convincing/distinctive singer to stand out from the crowd, or even the other Preludes.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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