Wonderful - Welcome to Wonderful - Theory Records 2001 ( written by Jeanette Strole, originally appeared in Tekbug Magazine, Winter 2002)

Seattle's Wonderful have subconsciously placed a word in my head. The word is kaleidoscope, and it deserves some closer attention.

Peter Sali, (Guitar) Jason Holstrom, (bass, keys) Jon E. Rock Khanjian, (drums) and Noah Star Weaver (keyboards) have created melody structures that fit like shiny brass fittings of a well-built kaleidoscope. They are as indebted in ideology to contemporary composers like Debussy and Ravel, as to prog-rockers and electronic pioneers like Tangerine Dream, and the constantly metamorphosing music of Yes and Stardust-era Bowie, but with the hushed beauty of Fine China.

Add to that the twinkling embellishments of pianos, a layered cake of synthesizers, guitars, lots of snare drums, cymbals, well-placed pitch shifts, time signatures and tender vocals (shared by Noah, Peter and Jason) that could be likened to gleaming gems and bits of colorful glass tumbling about. Wonderful's inventive instrumentation gives a new twist, again like the faceted mirrors of a kaleidoscope that reflect the multicolored hues of all its parts. Lengthy, quasi-symphonic songs stand out nicely, but at twenty-five minutes the album ends much too soon, like a short but vivid dream that begs to be continued.