Revive

In 2000, one-man band Bjorn Lynne delivered a fourth CD for the British label Cyclops. Revive is a return to more rock-based songs (as on The Void) and will be perceived as a big change to fans only acquainted with the musician's previous two efforts, the fantasy novel-derived Wolves of the Gods and Wizard of the Wind. Lynne handles lead guitar, bass, keyboards, and drum programming. Guitarist Rory McLeish adds some lead guitar on two tracks. The music here is of the very synthetic kind; square programmed drums and Jean-Michel Jarre-esque keyboards provide the backbone of these instrumental pieces. The main feature is Lynne's melodic guitar playing. He is never indulgent in the style of a guitar hero, but looks for the right touch to fit a particular song. It works well, but the music lacks the ambition of previous projects. Exit the ethereal atmospheres and the progressive rock developments, and the songs on Revive are simple and straightforward. A fair comparison would be Tangerine Dream circa Optical Race (plus lead guitar, of course). This generous CD (73 minutes) tends to be a bit too linear in the long run. Overall, it is not one of Lynne's best accomplishments. ~ François Couture, Rovi