It appears, that prog musicians like to have pop side projects these days. Usually quite good projects, let's just mention Blackfield, Strawberry Fields or Plotnicky. Dean Baker, Galahad's keyboardist, did the same thing.The band After The Storm is Dean's duo with vocalist Andrew Lyndon. They have taken Lee Abraham (also from Galahad) on the board lately. Lee plays guitar and some keyboards. Dean paid Lee back playing on his fresh work "Black And White". I guess "Where Do We Go From Here" is an album recorded by a group of friends, who just love making Music. Baker and Lyndon have known each other for thirty years, they were playing in a few bands together and After Te Storm is a new chapter of their musical friendship.

I can't imagine this record succeeding woldwide. Not because it's poor, I didn't mean that. It is just different from what today is called pop."Where Do We Go From Here" presents an old-fashioned attitude to making music (the only correct one, in my opinion). Which means - writing SONGS. Not beats with rap and silly choruses, not techno with voice. We won't find here messy music, that Timbalands, Justins and Christinas do. Good melodies, traditional composition scheme, everything wisely arranged - that's what the album contains. Lyndon and Baker (who wrote all the material themselves) are middle-aged gentlemen, so they have their habits. They like new romantic, because they started their music adventure in the eighties. We can hear it. Besides, Baker is an expert in getting modern sounds from synthetizers. He prooved it playing in Galahad, now he prooves it once again.They like good pop-rock - so Abraham plays his guitar with a great feeling. Lyndon sings laid back with his high, nasal voice, sometimes he rather hums.

Mixture of electronics, rock and nice melodies gives un an hour of pleasantly spent time. What about certain songs? "Blind" could be a part of latest Abraham's album (Lee has his own guitar sound, no doubt about it!), it's very lively and optimistic. "Hero Ways" sounds like, let's say, Mike And The Mechanics. "Alone", thanks to the keyboard intro is familiar to Simple Minds works. And it's almost nine minutes long! I guess it's an effect of Baker's long lasting cooperation with famous progressive band. After The Storm are not afraid of long instrumental solos."Get Over It" has some power pop features. "Sacrifice" is divided into two parts: a trip hop intro called "Lamb" (which sounds like a Bristol band Lamb, by the way!), and the ballad "Raging Heart", which grows stronger and stronger. I don't mind "I'm Not Waiting" is similar to Europran 90s disco, because it is just a good song. "Cold" is too calm for me, rather monotonous."Wanting You" is another nice ballad. But the best part of the record is the title song - a great, dramatic composition, with unforgettable refrain and fantastic guitar solo. That's how it should be done - the best songs should be put in the end - that way te pleasure of listening is much bigger!

Among good pop songs we can find three quite different pieces. "After The Storm" is spoken with an innocent child voice and "All Of Her Days" - is a similar woman's recitation. Thanks to fragile musical box-like backgrounds, the songs sound like New Age music. On the other hand, hidden track in the end of the album is a kind of vaudeville. It's good that it was used as a surprising bonus. It doesn't match the other songs.

I don't see evident hits here, maybe "Where Do We Go From Here" could take a chance. But all the songs are of high quality. This album can be played in any circumstances and it will be adequate every time. So I don't care, that it could be produced more powerfully. I don't care for the poor booklet and small budget. After The Storm put all their hearts and plenty of work in their debut album. That's the most important thing.

Paweł Tryba