Thursday, June 18, 2020

Thieves' Kitchen - Genius Loci. 2019 England


Thieves' Kitchen are back with their 7th album in roughly 20 years. Still in tow are some former members of Änglagård, and so the expectation is we'll be treated to another analog prog delight. As far as the analog part goes, this remains true. But the music on 'Genius Loci' is far more mellow than what we've come to expect from Thieves' Kitchen. It's dare I say - almost an Adult Contemporary take on classic Änglagård. Had I read that somewhere, I may have taken a pass here. Except that would have been a mistake. It's still Phil Mercy and Änglagård, so it's not really radio friendly. But it's very peaceful. The breathy vocals of Amy Darby remain (she'll never change), but it does fit the soothing nature of the music. Multiple plays reveal more each time. There are moments  of the past sprinkled throughout to keep a biting edge. It's a bit of a departure overall, but one I enjoyed. Not sure we need more of it, but as a one time experiment, it is worthy.

Ownership: CD: 2019 private. Comes in a digifile package with a fine lyrical booklet and reflections from Phil Mercy.

6/18/20 (new entry)

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