If I was given this as the subject of a blind-folded taste test and asked to guess its country and date of origin I would more than likely have posited UK, very early seventies. And I'd be wrong on both counts.
Topography of Mind, released in February, is the second album from Israel's excellent progressive rockers Telegraph and is probably my favourite album of the year so far.
The four long tracks (all around the 10-12 minute mark) contained within evoke many of the giants of the early seventies UK prog scene and are beautifully constructed pieces without a second wasted.
Apart from a couple of short verses of wispy treated vocals (think Greg Lake on the quieter tracks from his stint in King Crimson), this is entirely instrumental. Guitarist Tal Rubinstein has a lovely economical style that can't help but bring to mind Camel's Andy Latimer. Telegraph believe in playing to their strengths, and his unhurried, lyrical guitar leads fit in perfectly where other bands might feel they need to shoehorn in more vocals unneccesarily.
There's nothing too busy going on in any of these tracks which is very welcome. Relaxed, pastoral flute and acoustic guitar passages appear frequently (the opening of Valley of Delerium could almost be a madrigal), but they're just as comfortable floating off into space; the second half of album closer Somewhere Along These Lines is distinctly Floydian with keyboardist Eze Sakson's synth leads playing superbly off of Rubinstein's guitar vamps like a lost middle section of Shine On You Crazy Diamond.
Very highly recommended to those who (like me) prefer prog rock of the vintage persuasion.
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