After the split of 'Karnataka' (see the last album of the group here), 'Hayley Griffith' continues her career with her new band 'The Hayley Griffiths Band' and we are waiting their first album, and as for 'Ian Jones', he has created a new project 'Chasing The Monsoon' with keyboardist and guitarist of 'Karnataka', respectively 'Steve Evans' and 'Ian Simmons' and release a first album 'No Ordinary World'. For the occasion, he also appealed to other artists, first the singer 'Lisa Fury' who was a chorister of 'Karnataka' for 'The Gathering Light', 'Troy Donockley' of the band 'Nightwish' that we no longer present and guitarists, 'Enrico Pinna' (ex : 'Karnataka') and 'Gethin Woolcock'. After a first listen, we obviously feel similarities with 'Karnataka' with this sense of total escape and this from the first instrumental track in a atmospheric 'Floydian' style conducive to travel. With 'Circles of Stone', after still a 'Floydian' introduction, we discover the beautiful voice of 'Lisa Fury' which is soft and restrained and reminds me 'Sade' especially as the general mood of the opus is close to that of the English and 'Dancing in the Afterglow' plunges us even further into this distant universe with a throbbing and tribal rhythm in the first part and magnificent aerial vocalizations in the middle of the title. We remain in an atmosphere of softness with 'Dreams' and beautiful melodic lines close to 'Karnataka' and 'Into The Light' continuing in this direction, then, 'Innocent Child' climbs the emotional slider a few notches with a new magnificent performance of 'Lisa Fury' and a remarkable new guitar 'Gilmourian' solo. The following scrolls 'December Sky' slowly unfolding its sweet melody, the short instrumental 'Lament' with beautiful choirs and the bagpipe of 'Troy Donockley' then the album ends with two long titles, first, the beautiful ballad 'Love Will Find You' in which 'Lisa Fury' excels and, again, with very 'Gilmourian' guitar solos, and secondly, 'No Ordinary World' which, after an atmospheric introduction, ends the journey with a marked rhythm and is certainly the most energetic title of the album.
In short, this new project of 'Ian Jones' is a great success blending progressive and atmospheric rock with accessible melodies and if you like the airspace that can recall 'Pink-Floyd', 'No Ordinary World' is made for you...
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