The fact that Syd Arthur consists of four student-like and long-haired young men from Canterbury has already prompted the authoritative British prog-glossy PROG to see this group as the torch-bearer of the Canterbury Sound. The legacy of Canterbury bands of yesteryear such as Caravan, Gong and Soft Machine certainly carries over to Sound Mirror: a mix of playful compositions, psychedelia and jazz
… rock. On the other hand, this can be heard in many young bands and what distinguishes Syd Arthur from this is that this quartet can also swing in an almost un-English way. Sound Mirror sounds especially powerful and serious in ten strong songs that are dominated by the slightly melancholic voice of singer / guitarist Liam Magill, supplemented by the inventive violin and mandonline playing of Raven Bush and a solid rhythm section. The smooth group sound, in which no one claims a real solo role, sounds like it was mainly developed on stage. Even if they came from London or Manchester, Syd Arthur would have been a welcome new British band. (MR)more
