When I first heard about Rain, I was intrigued by what I read and was thankful to receive a copy of their debut, Cerulean Blue. Now Rain really isn’t a full band, more so a one-man operation which seems to be very common these days. I guess this is the age of talented folks that don’t really need other to fulfill their musical visions. Well Rain just does that and comes out with a winner here on Cerulean Blue.
Cerulean Blue, is a concept album and before you cry foul, it’s slightly different than most due to the story telling aspect done both by the music and narration. I know there’s been narration on other conceptual pieces but for the most part those are cheesy and take away from the music. Not here, in fact the story line relies on the narration to bridge or join each song. So if you’re looking for a single here, it ain’t happening.
The storyline of Cerulean Blue is basically a young man’s journey across America and the people he meets along with the experiences he has. The story is told through postcards and here’s where the narration comes in. The narrator (Rob Brown, who starred in the BBC’s recent adaptation of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales) sets the scenes up for our young man as he travels to such places as New York, Hollywood and Alaska.
The music is of the symphonic rock style with some progressive and pop moments throughout the album. While Rain doesn’t break any new ground, he does solidify and perfects the craft of good storytelling through music. Plus it’s a fantastically fun album to listen to and isn’t that what it’s all really about! This is one of the few albums in my time reviewing that I’d personally recommend to progressive rock fans into the more symphonic style along with modern rock and great storytelling.
Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on August 9th, 2005
