Root - Poles Apart - 2002
intro
Root is another sample of the strength and constant pushing of the progressive musicians that want to let everybody know about their work, following their influences and not fearing to fail. David Kendall is the genius behind Root, a multi instrumentalist that has dedicated these last years to produce his albums with prog-rock influences.
review
His first steps were, as usual, a lot of pub performances in Leicester (UK) from where the musician comes, trying to show his work and getting with his effort a certain amount of fans. Together with the internet possibilities, David has got to record already three CD’s and has been accepted as a good creator for some part of the underground media.
Influenced by the big bands of english and american progressive music (Rush, Yes, Marillion, Starcastle, Saga…) Root strikes back with this "Poles Apart", a good record full of fantastic atmospheres, good melodies guided by the guitars. A guitar that fits in every piece with a different kind of approach. Is a record that gives a lot good vibrations from the beginning focused on the more melodic of the style with moments that it reminds to Marillion with Steve Hogarth, or Saga from the end of the seventies. The only thing that can be disappointing is the production, too similar in each composition. But you can not ask much more if do it all by yourself.
Listening to the record, it is true that it sounds to a thin mixture of many things and styles and in generals terms the work’s got an intimate atmosphere, so the songs go by with great melodies arranged a bit different in each case. We are not talking about the record being a copy of Rush, Genesis or Marillion’s work if not songs that sounds a bit of everything all together. What is clear is that David’s voice is very similar to Hogarth’s which gives the music a bit more of Marillionesque flavor.
I don’t think is necessary to tell you about all the songs, you just have to imagine a bit what I’m trying to explain to you. It’s a good demonstration of a musician and his effort even not having the highest and expensive technology of the big bands, can do.
conclusion
It’s a good record that I sincerely think will like those who understand the progressive music as a relative simple and good digesting music without loosing any of its elements. For the fans of the most recent Marillion is a perfect work and also for those who listen to King Crimson and they say that they hate Marillion and they sometimes listen to their music or even buy some of their records, for these people is also a recommended disk.