Beekstraat 1 - B-2640 Mortsel - Belgium

FOR ABSENT FRIENDS: Square One

Release

Style

The name For Absent Friends evidently provokes spontaneous reactions from the legion of Genesis fans, but don’t expect old school prog from the eponymous Dutch outfit. This is modern Neo prog of the best quality our northern neighbours have to offer. Five years have we waited for the successor of “The Big Room” (2001), and our patience has been worth wile. “Square One” sounds a lot more progressive than the previous album, and yet a good hook and catchy melody aren’t forgotten. After the departure of keyboard player Peter de Jong, Ron Mozer was recruited, and he fits the compact FAF sound perfectly. The band has always had a fine nose for great vocalists. Alex Toonen has found a more than decent follow-up in Hans van Lint. What a voice this guy has! What emotional expression! Indeed, who could keep his eyes dry while listening to “The Big Room” ballad “If Love”? On the new album, van Lint again knows how to move us, like in “Wonder”, which is the absolute winner track. It starts with piano and fragile voice, then a nice break and change of pace which result in some great ensemble playing. Also captivating is “Berlin Wall”, which is cleverly built. But actually every track is a gem in its own right, from solid opener “Hello World” via the threatening title track until “Billy”, an Ange classic that features Christian Decamps and Ron Ottenhoff (Alquin). The band has played it live for some years now, and now it puts an exclamation mark at the end of a great album. Recommended!
 

Musicians

1. Hello World (5:03)
2. Stick Around (4:53)
3. Call It Chance (4:14)
4. Square One (4:36)
5. Wonder (8:37)
6. Berlin Wall (5:30)
7. Us (4:10)
8. Falling Asleep (2:23)
9. Billy (5:49)

Illusions (1990)
Both Worlds (1991)
Running In Circles (1994)
FAF Out Of Hal (1995)
Tintinnabulation (1996)
Decade (1998)
The Big Room (2001)
Square One (2006)

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Last updated: 27 januari 2007 .
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