The Tangent
A Place In The Queue

I would gladly start this review by simply recommending you to listen to this beautiful work that encapsulates everything prog-rock should be: the combination of styles, genres, and instruments here truly becomes unique.

This excellent band, called "The Tangent," is a strange union of two very good groups of the genre: the "Flower Kings" and the "Parallel or 90 Degrees." And they are now releasing their second full-length. "A Place in the Queue" is an album of rare beauty in the realm of prog-rock (mind you, not metal). This album is the offspring of influences that intelligently range from Genesis-type prog-rock to the more complex atmospheres of Jazz.
Needless to say, it begins with a delightful suite: "In Earnest" is sublime in the "pianistic" atmospheres it creates, intermittently broken by never-annoying synth sounds or the sound of some wind instrument, while a central section is enriched with an excellent gently distorted guitar riffing. "Lost in London" instead seems to be symptomatic of rainy London: light touches of wind instruments and drums interweaving, the singer's voice silent in an ethereal and gently transporting song.

Meanwhile, we delve into atmospheres (for just under 2 minutes) with a fairly modern-derived prog in "DIY Surgery". But what dominates this progressive tapestry is always the excellent use of wind instruments that gives everything a pleasant and high-quality jazz aspect. While with "GPS Culture" we dive into an atmosphere that almost recalls Yes and brings the band and its music back to a vintage territory, unlike the previous track. A song with a thousand facets, endowed with calm, silence, and energy alike, poetic in its vocal atmosphere. Unpredictable and blatantly prog is "Follow Your Leaders".
The strong influence of 70s prog is evident, reworked and made even more fascinating by once again jazz-like atmospheres. "The Sun in My Eyes" is a demonstration of how simple and direct songs can also be written. An example of dancing disco-pop with shades reminiscent of 80s disco. The second suite closes with the title track encapsulating prog-rock and jazz as we've noted throughout the rest of the album, closing and summing up how this band ultimately doesn't sound extremely original but manages to be qualitatively excellent and pleasant.

I’ll close the review by stating that this album is perhaps one of the best releases of 2006 in the prog-rock sphere. It could be a real masterpiece if it had been released many years ago, but its atmosphere so reminiscent of past rock renders it little original and not very suitable for today's music. However, this does not detract from the value of an album that still shines.