Tears Are Goin' Home

Led by German keyboard player Thomas Karrenbach's conservative playing style, Lava's first and only album failed to make it beyond the underground progressive scene, but its ingredients included many elements that were just as solid as the music coming from the more prominent groups at the time. The crux of Tears Are Goin' Home is built on a blues-rock sound, with instruments like the harmonica, conga, and bongo drums attaching themselves to the mainframe. What results is some straightforward progressive rock with fuzzy, distorted guitar tones pulling in Jurgen Kraaz's flute and organ accompaniment. With the opening track's blues sound resembling the Groundhogs in many places, the following cut, entitled "Crimes of Love," embarks on a kinder, gentler melody that mirrors the average rock ballad. Beyond the first two songs, the music begins to cultivate a distinct feel, with the mouth harp's cordial twang creating a countrified sound on "Would Be Better You Run" and the acoustic guitar dominating the momentum of "Holy Fool." The full ten minutes of "Piece of Peace" is an excellent coda, as the band spills prominent examples of each of their talents into one long finale. While there are minimal amounts of organ and piano interplay, Lava's sound is located mainly in the string work and in the singing, making this lone release a meritorious effort despite the band's unpromising future. ~ Mike DeGagne|