O.W.L - Of Wondrous Legends

Proof that there´s still excellent albums out there to discover. Drawing mainly on artrock and early light-prog aesthetics, O.W.L deliver an ambitious song cycle which at its best transforms into dazzling psychedelia. A pro-level recording and elaborate arrangements that utilize keyboards, flute, vibes and multi-tracked male vocals make for an appealing surface, and unlike the typical Moody Blues derivates, there´s lots of personality and depth. The mood is cerebral and refined, but the commitment and songwriting should impress even those with no immediate love for the genre (like me). The dominating style is dreamy melodic prog-rock like the British album Spring, but the vocal style and ghostly soundscape may at times recall Freeborne and Time on Shadoks, while the chamber music intimacy reflects a possible Pearls Before Swine influence. There´s more keyboard than guitar, which is typical for the style. Impressive on many levels, with hypnotic Eastern lysergia on "Midnight Carnival", the album´s epic center-piece. The artist was formerly with the pre-LP Mountain Bus, and recorded this as the first in a projected series of albums." - Patrick Lundborg, author of The Acid Archives. Of Wondrous Legends is a Chicago baroque psych classic recovered from the dustbins of history. To the few who have heard it, it has earned comparisons to Tim Buckley, Pearls Before Swine, and 60s British prog-folk.

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