Quidam

Quidam's eponymous debut pairs the excitement and mistakes of youth. The group obviously had some strong songs under its belt, but still had to come to terms with its progressive rock influences (Pink Floyd and Camel, mostly). Some shifts from section to section in the long tracks lack grace and a couple of shorter songs stumble upon the pitfalls of mainstream neo-prog. Yet, despite its flaws, this disc remains quite compelling. Emila Derkowska, singing in Polish, guides the listener through a gallery of prog rock anthems and pop songs. The opener, "Sanktuarium," was an instant classic thanks to its crunchy guitar riff, majestic chords, and riveting melody. "Chocbym..." and "Bajkowy" round up Quidam's palette, the latter being highly tasteful hit-single material. The closing 14-minute "Ptone" also stands out, mainly thanks to its uplifting themes. In that track and "Sanktuarium," the flute of Ewa Smarzynska comes close to stealing the show. The middle section of the album gets weaker, mainly because of ill-chosen keyboard sounds that, for example, give "Nocne Widziadla" the ridiculous silhouette of an '80s hair group anthem. "Warkocze" and "Gleboka Rzeka" fail to match the strength of the opener and closer. An uneven ride, Quidam may sound less polished than the group's subsequent albums, but it yielded the two best songs in its career. ~ François Couture, Rovi