Reviewed by Rob Birtley

The Glorious are a band based in Melbourne, Australia, made up of Dave Mather on vocals, guitar, piano and keyboards; Dan Gard'ner on drums, percussion and vocals; and Joel Loukes on bass. This, their third studio album, opens with "Towards Neptune" and bears all the musical hallmarks of classic West Coast soft rock circa The Byrds and Stephen Stills. The lyrics use the repeated phrase "Am I in danger at all?" posing an eternal question which is best answered by Romans 8:31 as the song charts an astral journey with a heavenly destination. The track eases into the rockier "Ease The Load", a song about picking up your yoke and sharing the weight of it with the Almighty. The driving bass line pushes the track along counterpointing the drums like something you might hear on a Free song. The title track opens with acoustic guitar, the ethereal vocal floating in on another plain. The song echoes a number of Pink Floyd tracks not least in the guitar solo mixed with the use of Hammond organ. The album ends with "I Wake Up" which sets an epic vocal against a stripped back piano accompaniment. 'Falcon' is a perfect album for warm summer evenings. The subtle way The Glorious marry their penetrating spiritual message with music which is warmly familiar but never derivative is a delight.

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