Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
Theatre is as much about experimental as it is the reliance on the original and the long standing, the deep rooted and the childhood memories of how fresh the mature and seasoned felt when you first experienced it. It is the playful and the daring to look behind the curtain, the realisation that Dorothy Gale was wrong, there was no conjurer and purveyor of cheap illusion hiding in Oz, it was magic all along and magic that drives the sensational and theatrical to unveil its Hidden Gems.
The Adventures of Captain of the Lost Waves’ Hidden Gems are to be treasured, the theatrical encounter upon first entering a strange world, a land of emeralds encased in diamond and preserved in amber, the reflection dazzling but sincere and the face in the mirror only able to speak truth, that the crew of this particular ship are sailing into uncharted waters with faith in abundance and the satisfied looks of those cheering them deep in their hearts.
With guests on the album such as Liz Shaw on dancing terpsichorean trumpets, Pete Earnshaw on percussion and Emily Hingham on violin, Murray Grainger, Tony Taffinder and Dave Bowie Jnr. ride the crest of the wave into a strange land where the theatrical reigns supreme and the curtain is raised, the illusion made real and lost and lonely gather round in comfort and enjoyment.
Hidden Gems, an album of brightness shrouded in mystery and intrigue, of ancient tongues delivering a beautiful sermon and where the dance is expected to be joined in full; this dance, a widdershins jig, a movement of souls colliding, is brave, well thought out and easy to love.
In tracks such as Another Planet, the fantastic and heart thumping Danger, Fat Freddy’s Fingers, Mr Many Men and Don’t Miss What’s Right In Front Of You, The Adventures of Captain of the Lost Waves puts on a show that rivals the star attraction in the theatre, one that is emblazed in lights and the dramatic and yet never once strays into the artificial or the dismally unbalanced realm of the pretentious; this is where the curtain is pulled back and what is really driving Oz is Dorothy’s soul, Ozma’s pragmatism and the Wizard’s glee.
A fantastic album, utterly brimming with desire, Hidden Gems is revealed and passionate, a master class of imaginative album recording.
Ian D. Hall