Credits:

Focus

Description:

Following on from the 2002 surprise comeback album Focus 8, founding member Thijs Van Leer prolongs this legendary Dutch band’s inspired new run with what would, in the ’70s, have been called a double-LP’s worth of further new material. Moreover, Pierre van der Linden (drummer of the classic ’70s Focus lineup) joins him this time, with young partner Bobby Jacobs remaining on bass, but Niels VanDerSteenhoven replacing guitarist Jan Dumee. Not to worry, though, he too captures the sound and quality of original Focus guitarist Jan Akkerman just as perfectly as his predecessor — in tune with the fact that this quartet manages to recapture the original band’s sound every bit as well as happened on Focus 8. Mostly instrumental as usual, the listener can delve into the classic sound of a Hammond organ led Baroque rock/jazz-rock mixture (with smatterings of flute), and feel like it’s 1972 all over again. Of