Arrival

The Vintage Caravan is a mystery. “Arrival,” the latest full length from this young Icelandic trio, barely out of their teens, implies a maturity worthy of any band that has been on the road for some decades. A relaxed rocker like ‘Winter Queen,’ with its perfectly timed build up and meticulous solos, speaks of a long-experienced songwriter worth his salt. The blues soaked ‘Monolith’ is as cleverly assembled as the percussion driven heavyweight ‘Last Day of Light’ or the shape shifting semi-ballad, half-groove monster ‘Eclipsed,’ or the whirling psychedelic trip offered by ‘Babylon.’ The band of a masterful composer can clearly be seen at work in each and every of the diverse songs featured on “Arrival” combined with a rare musicality on the instrumental and vocal side that can easily match those rock giants of the 70’s.