Broers & Klazinga – Second Thoughts (2024)

For the fans of the initial Dutch band Knight Area, the first album Burdens of the Mind by both keyboardists Jacob Broers and Gerben Klazinga was already a wonderful album with a lot of the charm of the first releases of this great Dutch prog band around mastermind Klazinga. The fact that the vocals were provided by former knight Mark Smit certainly was of big importance for this. Well, good news, Smit has been added as a permanent band member and provided the vocals again on Second Thoughts, with the subtitle And then there were Three (where have we heard that before?). He does this so well that you can safely say that he is one of the best singers in the Netherlands.

As much as I liked the debut album, I missed some tension and urgency and it could have contained a little more dynamics. Well, again good news, on Second Thoughts it is much better and the compositions are almost all a bit spicier and if you like, more symphonic. There are also more longer tracks with room for the guitar and especially in the six tracks on which master guitarist Mark Bogert plays it is highly enjoyable. He leaves his metal face at home and plays very melodic and weeping, really beautiful.

Of course there are some shorter tracks on it that are a bit simpler in design, but in some way the melodies touch me more and the balance of the entire album is better. As a rusty old progger I simply have to name a number of tracks and I’ll start with the second track Wait for Sleep. This almost nine-minute song follows the short Prelude – Sons of Gods (not Ajax fans, right?) and is a real treat for fans of symphonic rock (yes, that term still exists) with bombastic keys and razor-sharp but very sensitive guitar solos. Smit is immediately on a roll and describes all kinds of reasons why he can't fall asleep, which is understandable in today's world. Overall his lyrics are very clear and describe real and tangible events and feelings.

A second track that I simply have to mention is Delusional which is the longest song with over ten minutes and lives up to everything you hope for. It is no surprise that the two top keyboardists succeed in combining extraordinarily intriguing melodies with their technical ability. Swirling solos but also serene piano sounds that form the perfect basis for Smit's voice and Bogert's antics on guitar, both acoustically and electrically.

Where on Burdens of the Mind there was quite a bit of room for song-oriented music, the choice was made to take more time for more comprehensive arrangements and that works out very well. With almost sixty-five minutes, Second Thoughts is a very long album and for me it could have been a little shorter. I notice that I have developed a preference for albums that last between fifty and sixty minutes and that has everything to do with intense attention while listening. With this I don't want to detract from the quality of this album or the individual tracks.

I also want to make a small comment about Klazinga's choice to play drums and all bass parts, and then also a number of guitar parts. With this there is a danger that it will become and sound like a solo album but fortunately there is still Broers who has a different approach and provides change and variation. His style is more classicly trained and it is the combination with the more rock orientated style of Klazinga that makes the music exciting.

When you listen to songs like Read Me and The Test of Time, you imagine yourself back in time because the Knight Area vibe from the early years haunts around like a friendly ghost. I have to admit that there are a few shorter tracks that appeal to me a little less but are still fine.

So if you liked the debut album you can buy Second Thoughts without thinking but even if you didn't, this new album is worth a listening session. In general, you can safely say that every prog lover with a preference for virtuoso keyboard playing with the aim of providing the tracks with a melodic basis for good vocals and beautiful guitar solos should give this beautiful album a chance. Although tastes differ I guess that most of you won't be disappointed.

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