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This is the double album from U.K. progressive rock group Druid, which includes the drummer who played with Gary Numan, and has 16 inventive and eccentric songs. Although Druid's future seemed promising, the band failed to record more than two albums, leaving only 1975's Toward the Sun and 1976's Fluid Druid to their name. In 1995, BGO packaged both albums as a two-disc set, saving fans the hassle of locating each album separately. Druid is guided by lead vocalist Dane, who harbors a voice that is both high and sharp, but manages to customize it with the surrounding instruments. Both albums contain lush, relaxing harmonies with simple articulation and a free flowing folk-infused style that's illuminated by the keyboard and Mellotron applications. With parallels arising to that of Yes in Druid's musical composition, the songwriting isn't as intricate or as sensational, but it is delicately poetic and even romantic at times. There's a consistent folk feel throughout Toward the Sun, highlighted by the effervescence of "Remembering" and the rougher sounding "Voices," but trumped by the peaceful tranquility which flows from "Dawn of Evening." Fluid Druid sounds a little sharper, with McCrorie-Shand's keyboards expanding beyond pure effectual techniques. With the songs sounding more like light rock rather than mellow progressive, cuts like "Crusade" and "Nothing but Morning" contain greater instrumental depth and more of an equilibrium between the singing and the music than on their previous release. "Razor Truth" shows off Dane's impressive vocal range better than any other track, and the last two songs, "Left to Find" and the instrumental "The Fisherman's Friend" close the album by putting all of Druid's talents to good use. After Druid's breakup, Cedric Sharpley went on to play drums for Gary Numan's Tubeway Army, and then formed Dramatis a short time later. ~ Mike DeGagne
