Magari - A Crescent Dream - (Self Released EP 1/2/2011)

Written by Ken Foster

From ambient beginnings, 'A Crescent Dream' puts a toe in the water of post rock, a tentative step over the threshold of psychedelia and then jumps feet first into the elusive pool of originality.

Billed as a dream sequence in 3 parts the instrumental Pensive builds from a Badalamenti style opening into an Explosions In The Sky'esque finale.

A Look Through Fog even has some metal chops interspersed with delicate layered picked guitar. The vocals could be stronger but do complement the track in a kind of tentative Ben Folds style. The climax to the song is all the better for the addition of synth.

Oceans Away veers more into Prog territory with some trademark synth runs, a 9 minute piece which builds to around the 5 minute mark then has a glorious change of emphasis. Like the best new music (for those that are prepared to look for it), Magari manage to take a variety of influences and blend them into something new and truly creative.

There are a few minor flaws in the production which hardly matter in the grand scheme of the potential shown here.

Rating: 4/5

Download using the bandcamp honesty box and get a bonus track at: http://magari.bandcamp.com/
& the Magari website is at: www.magarimusic.com