Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Cross, David
Label: Purple Pyramid
Released: 2018
Running time: 53:30
Rating: 4.5/5
English multi-instrumentalist David Cross, best known as a former member of prog rock titans King Crimson, was busier in 2018 than ever before in his solo career, cutting no fewer than two studio albums. »Another Day« was recorded with former Van der Graaf Generator saxophonist/flutist David Jackson. »Crossing the Tracks«, on the other hand, is a full-on, somewhat unplanned solo outing where David’s violin wizardry gets room to stretch out. It was also a turning point in his career, because for the first time he wasn’t the writer and arranger of everything on the record. Instead, he played violin and electric violin and did keyboard arrangements on the songs at the request of producer Jurgen Engler and the folks at Cleopatra Records. Despite Cross’s initial doubts, the project ended up working out surprisingly well.
Unlike the outstanding »Sign of the Crow« from 2016, which was recorded with Cross’s band The David Cross Band and sounded like a distinctly modern hybrid of progressive rock and progressive metal with some Porcupine Tree and Opeth influences, »Crossing the Tracks« is far more ‘traditionalist’, even a touch commercial, with plenty of jazz rock fusion, folk and world music influences. Most of the arrangements are laid-back, while the superb vocal harmonies blend beautifully with David’s always eclectic violin lines, making this a pretty accessible album that will surely win him a few new fans.
»Crossing the Tracks« is packed with Celtic melodies and richly layered violin arrangements, which you can hear right from the opener »White Bird«, sung with real feeling by Sonja Karaushofer. »Crossing the Tracks« is half an instrumental album, while six different female singers guest on six of the tracks, each adding a completely different dimension to their songs with their own distinct voice. »For What It It’s Worth« with Anne-Marie Hurst on vocals comes across as a rather odd but still intriguing hybrid of prog, jazz rock and pop, without a trace of sappiness.
The symphonic instrumentals »Prince of Darkness« and »Into the Oblique« are definitely among the more typical showcases of Cross’s signature violin style, with a somewhat darker atmosphere and a murkier sound from David’s electric violin, so associations with his King Crimson past come naturally. »The Light Inside Me«, steeped in all kinds of world music elements and featuring Kimberly Freeman on vocals, is very reminiscent of some of the work of Welsh progressives Karnataka, while the brilliantly arranged instrumental »Shifting Sands« is clear proof of why Cross still collaborates so often with current and former King Crimson members.
»Crossing the Tracks« was a bold move and a thoroughly atypical album for Cross’s solo career so far, one that, after some possible initial hesitation over a few unexpected turns, will probably win over most of his followers. The experiment with female vocalists turned out surprisingly well, and the mix of instrumental and vocal pieces is balanced just right, so »Crossing the Tracks« never comes off as too commercial, which will please Cross’s longtime fans. At the same time it isn’t overly complex, thanks to the pretty ‘friendly’ voices of most of the singers, which may widen the circle of fans of Cross’s often overlooked solo career.
Lineup
David Cross – violin
Sonja Kraushofer – vocals (1)
Anne-Marie Hurst – vocals (3)
Ofra Haza – vocals (5,11)
Kimberly Freeman – vocals (7)
Marion Küchenmeister – vocals (9)
Eva O – vocals (12)
Production
Jürgen Engler
Track list
1. White Bird (4:40)
2. Kalahari Fantasy (5:28)
3. For What It’s Worth (3:04)
4. Prince Of Darkness (4:09)
5. Love Me (5:46)
6. Into The Oblique (4:33)
7. The Light Inside Me (4:00)
8. Shifting Sands (3:56)
9. Hero Of Kingdom (4:00)
10. Hallelujah (5:17)
11. The Key (4:20)
12. Shadows Do Know (4:17)
