Cressida - CRESSIDA***

To Play Your Little Game/Winter Is Coming Again/Time For Bed/Cressida/Home & Where I Long To Be/ Depression/One Of A Group/Lights In My Mind/The Only Earthman In Town/Spring 69/Down Down/Tomorrow Is A Whole New Day

Self titled debut album from the little known British progressive band Cressida, whose music featured Hammond organ, fuzz guitar and early use of the mellotron.

“Moody, atmospheric, melodic and thoroughly British. Play it on a rainy day and let the sounds of jazzy Hammond organ and electric guitar lull you into a state of warm, introspective joy.”

“Even calling this stuff art-rock would be stretching your imagination. Regular 60s psychedelic-folk without anything new in the songwriting department, and light years away from anything labelled as prog.”

“Cressida's self-titled debut is certainly among my most played progressive rock albums. That's because it is highly diverse and at the same time so amazingly easy to get inside to. The melodies are beautiful, instrumentation is strong and almost everything here is perfect. Just listen to those awesome guitars, wouldn't it be great if they had extended those solos a bit?”

“One of those special albums that are quintessential progressive rock, but which eschew grandiosity and pomposity, yet still retain a clear connection to the psychedelic underground.”

“Dominating instruments are the Hammond and guitar, sometimes played acoustically but an occasional harpsichord adds a very nice baroque flavour. Vocals by lead singer Angus Cullen are very palatable and fit nicely into the music.”

“Cressida's debut is full of swirling organ, jazzy percussion, great fuzz guitar and lots of swing. The title track is superb, with its great organ riff and snappy drums. There are also more melancholic moments such as Depression and Down Down.”

“Their sound still owns much to 60s flower power era. But this band incorporated quite well some classical and also jazzy elements in their mostly solemn compositions, rooted in the British folk tradition. All the songs presented here are pleasant and romantic.”