“Mirror of Motions is as good as Inside Out, a little bit more daring should I say but radiant of those early 90's TD rocks and sounds”
1 Into Life 5:43 2 Dreaming 12:43 3 Successive Pictures 2:56 4 Airing 4:08 5 Farewell 2:12 6 Drifting Away 11:24 7 Soaring Flight 10:50 8 Energetic 5:17 9 Lonewolf 12:45 10 Fairy Land 6:49 Spheric Music | SMCD 1002
(CD 75:02) (V.F.) (Solid E-Rock)
Following the success of Inside Out, Lambert returns with an album that doesn't go in subtleties, nor in ambiguities. Like his previous opus, MIRROR OF MOTIONS offers a collection of 10 titles which are resolutely more rock! Except for one or two moments of ambiospherical wandering, like in the evolutionary and progressive structure of Lonewolf, Lambert aims at lively electronic rock anthems and at ballad with synths always in mode charm, in mode weavers of melodies eaters of eardrums.
Into Life starts on a rush off like a shot! With a strong e-rock which seems to come out of the sessions of B10 from Lambert's previous album. The line of sequences spits its keys which make keen acrobatics, rolling and tumbling down on sober percussions. The keyboard weaves layers and chords which dominated these structures of dance music of the 80's while the synth throws harmonies that can be whistled, but not as much as these solos which charm as much that in the universe of Inside Out. The tone is thus given to an album that risks burning your feet. The catchy ballad side hasn’t fall in the oblivion with this MIRROR OF MOTIONS. And Lambert throws us a couple of very good ones which wallow between our ears. Dreaming is the first one and the best of them all. The guitar is delicious and tosses harmonies in forms of good solos, although Farewell is not to be disdained with its rather medieval approach measured by the flavors of Beach Theme from Thief. Successive Pictures is a kind of Synth-pop with a structure always fed by these sequences which skip on the spot in a too much restricted space. If the guitar seems from another universe, the layers/riffs of synth inhale those of Tangerine Dream. Airing is a title more directed to the electronic universe of the vintage years with a more complex structure. A first line of sequences swirls with an approach of Halloween style, but more virginal, on the deep pulsations of a gourmand bass line. This structure of rhythm and the song of the synth plunges us back in the Ashra's Blackouts years. Another reference that we perceive, always in order to guide the reader, is the one of Mark Shreeve's Legion and the title Icon which pushes the limits of Drifting Away towards other territories. It’s a good and steady e- rock, set apart for about thirty of seconds, sustained by a series of nervous sequences of which the loops rise and come down in the race of sober percussions. Always harmonious, the synth works very hard by multiplying the effects while protecting its harmonious capacity and by making a series of solos, some have flavors of guitar in a structure which needs to inhale, around the 8 minutes when a harmonica floats with an air of sadness, before bouncing in a more rock phase where the guitar spits riffs and solos.
The approach of Silver Scale had seduced the fans during Inside Out. We find it here in Soaring Flight whose very TD structure breathes here as in titles such as Sun and Dolphin's Cry. Energetic is heavy and slow with Boris Glitzner's solid and weighty percussions who hammers a movement of spheroidal sequences. It reminds me the Optical Race period. Beginning with a shifty approach which establishes a climate of horror movie, with good effects and especially this line of sequence which skips here in circles as much perfect that of a millipede seeking for its tail, Lonewolf is a very good title of a kind Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Soft and intriguing, the introduction remains charming even with its dark veil. Boris Glitzner's percussions make some roulades, like in a brass band, before blowing up the ambiences into a furious progressive rock. The moods calm down again and we enter in a more occult phase where we confuse the eerie breezes with supernatural voices. A very Baumann flute makes float its charming airs while the sequences are skipping in step of 5 over the anemic breaths of a roaring bass. A splendid ethereal layer covers this ambient phase of a shroud of esotericism whereas Lonewolf raises proudly an electronic rhythm which will be plundered by a guitar and its vicious solos. It’s very good! It asks for some listening but that is worth it. Fairy Land ends MIRROR OF MOTIONS with strength. The rhythm is lively and fluid. A synth-pop like Successive Pictures but with a more Jean-Michel Jarre touch at the level of the percussions. It's lively and more cheerful than Lonewolf and that also shows that Lambert feels always at ease under any hat. Like here and like Inside Out; two strong albums of electronic rock which travels between the 70's and the 80's while installing its anchoring in the 90's.
Sylvain Lupari (March 13th, 2017) *****
Available at Spheric Music and CD Baby