The former guitarist for The Coral is finding new life as a solo artist in the happy field of modern composition. If … , recorded with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and inspired by Italo Calvino’s If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler, is a worthy follow-up to Ryder-Jones‘ vinyl score to A Leave Taking. On If … , the composer flirts with different styles, from delicate singer-songwriter (“Leaving”) to post-rock prog (“Enlace”). His strength, however, may lie in his purely orchestral maneuvers, of which “If …”, “The Reader” and “Intersect” are the finest examples. The hodgepodge nature of the release works against the album’s flow, while simultaneously increasing our admiration. Expect a play for Broderick territory in the new year. (Richard Allen)
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Nice post! “If…” was my album of the week last week at mattneric:
http://mattneric.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/bill-ryder-jones-if/