Croft sounds like an original, adept at working with artists as diverse as Lesley Garrett and The Platters. This is his first solo album and encompasses 12 original compositions written over two years. He says that he was inspired by the passing of such legends as Allan Holdsworth, Keith Emerson, Christopher Lee and, more oddly, Gustav Mahler, and states that he felt a close affinity to all these individuals. Tackling an array of keyboard instruments and vintage synths, among them the mini-Moog, the Prophet 5, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno 60, as well as the conventional Steinway, and clearly relishing the chance to let his imagination wander and happy to exploit the sonic potential of each keyboard variant, Croft has produced a series of engaging, often cleverly programmatic pieces, more or less akin to Weather Report and doubtless evoking references to Croft's liking for prog rock. McLean and Davies score heavily, the violinist quite superb on the lyrical ‘The Legend of Bray’ (for Lee), the trumpeter eloquent on ‘The Whispering Knight’, confirming his emerging status as a talent to watch, the pitter-patter sound of the Rhodes behind him. Much of the material is tuneful, the varied playing of these musicians idiomatic and engaging. Some way away from my customary area of comfort, and including two short passages of poetry read by the late Peter Miles, a long-time Croft friend, this is a heartfelt tribute to Croft's many inspirations and influences, with individual compositions assigned to his heroes. Croft's soundscapes work as a compendium of possibilities, retaining listener interest while exhibiting an almost infinite variety of invention.