A little over three years since his last studio release, The Secret, Alan Parsons returns with a sixth solo set. From The New World adheres largely to the blueprint of its warmly received predecessor, which after 15 years away from the format of ‘new music’ under his own name featured a galaxy of illustrious co-stars, with vocals from former Foreigner singer Lou Gramm, the popular US singer/songwriter Jason Mraz and Parsons himself, plus musical backing provided by the likes of Steve Hackett, Nathan East, Vinnie Colaiuta, Danny Thompson and Jeff Kollman – talents that always reassure quality.
Although The Secret was conceptually based, its contents exploring the art of magic, From The New World is simply a set of standalone soft rock-meets-pop compositions. Reflecting Parsons’ iconic stature as a collaborator of The Beatles and also his contribution to Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon, they are beautifully written and masterfully executed, though if it’s anything that might resemble challenging time signatures or demanding arrangements that you seek, well… look elsewhere. That Tommy Shaw, saccharine-voiced frontman of US pomp/AOR veterans Styx, delivers one of its selections reveals much of what you need to know.
