There’s an old proverb which says “all things come to those who wait” and in the case of UK progressive rockers Absolute Elsewhere, it’s undoubtedly true. After releasing their promising debut album (In Search Of Ancient Gods) the band seemed destined for big things until the arrival of punk found their record label dropping them like a hot potato. Subsequently, the band’s sophomore album was shelved and has languished in the archives ever since. Recently unearthed and lovingly remastered, Playground finally sees the light of day and proves itself worthy of the wait.

With some suitably space age sounds, Playground gets off to the best possible start with the epic ‘Relax’. It’s a song of several suites which takes the listener on a shapeshifting musical journey that ululates and swirls as ethereal sections give way to hard rock which in turn are replaced by a decidedly funky beat. It’s a multifaceted affair that’s constantly evolving and revolving and is stitched together by its very own eclecticism. In the true spirit of prog there’s an “anything goes” ethos and this has given the band an exorbitant amount of freedom and you feel that there’s nothing that won’t be sucked into their orbit. Of course, this is not an easy line to walk; without the requisite skill eclecticism can become an unlistenable musical collage, yet Absolute Elsewhere pull all of these disparate elements into a cohesive whole and subsequently ‘Relax’ flows like a river of luxuriant silk that’s wending towards an unknown destination.

The years that have elapsed since Playground had been shelved have only increased its charms and it has a timeless quality that much modern music lacks. Songs such as ‘Time To Change’, with its jazz fusion quality, sounds as if it could have been recorded at any point in the last 45 years. That this album has an even flow should come as no surprise considering the calibre of the musicians involved, most notably drummer Bill Bruford (Yes/King Crimson) who hits the skins particularly hard on ‘The 7 Year Itch’. Yet, it would be unfair to single out any one of the five members because they operate as a unified whole and the production plays to each members strength; certain instruments are brought to the fore at optimum moments, then receded at others, further enhancing the album’s elasticity.

Far too good to be locked away in a vault, Playground finally sees the light of day and makes an intriguing coda to the Absolute Elsewhere story, but hopefully, there are more treasures to be unearthed.

• Playground is available for streaming now.

Track List:

1. Relax
2. Time to Change
3. Talk to Me
4. The 7 Year Itch
5. Elementary Fools
6. It Doesn’t Take A Burglar Long to Fall in Love
7. The Nine Other Worst Dressed Men
8. Tides