This guitar-driven progressive rock oddity from 1999 is a very interesting listen.  From the sound effects and moody Gilmour-esque slide guitar that conjur up Pink Floyd's "Echoes," "Animals," and "The Wall," I was immediately struck by the obvious Floyd influence.  Nevertheless, a lot of originality, thought, and imagination went into producing this excellent record.  The songs are well written, with a great electric guitar sound throughout many of the tracks which are also laced with effects and synthesizer pads and cool arpeggio lines.  Sometimes the vocals are heavily processed, which only adds to the surreal mood of this album.  Vocals really are great, especially on "I'm Ready Now"-- perhaps the most radio-friendly of the tracks.  But it's the guitar that really shines on this album.  The solos reveal excellent technique and musicality, and really enhance the songs which, as a whole, are quite compelling.

The songs on the album all add to the mood and support the record's "Haiku" concept which, as best I can tell, is somewhat loosely based on a couple's hiking trip to a nirvana-like paradise in Hawaii, but which tragically ends in an accident.  This mysterious -- yet tragic -- ending is alluded to in a strange way near the end of the album in which the music transitions to a recording of a police-scanner-like radio transmission reporting the accident.  Very cool. 

If you like Pink Floyd, you'll like this. 

Key Tracks:  

"Moanalua Valley"
 
"We Will Never Leave This Place"

"I'm Ready Now"
                            Read more...
                        

                            
Borrows some styles from Pink Floyd but don't let that put you off. This is a great piece of work on its own merits. It is a kind of musical travelogue with great melodies expertly crafted that will linger in your mind long after the first hearing.
                            Read more...
                        

                            
well i have this cd only a week and what a week it is this cd is blow me away i just cant stop listening and i play it over and over again.you must  listen to understand what im saying its just amazing album.if i try to describe the music i would say its combination of the 2 solo albums from pink floyd members rick wright-wet dream and david gilmour-david gilmour both are from 1978 and the total is surrounded in atmospheric sound that remind the pink-floyd area between the albums -more/obscured by clouds .the beautiful mellow singing with the amazing guitar playing and superb beautiful melodies will make this album a must in every music collection and specially in pink-floyd/progrock fans. Highly recommended.amir
                            Read more...