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After their first Claude Monet album, XII Alfonso spent two years in the studio recording the second in the trilogy. For all I know, it could have been seven days spread over two years, but the liner notes say "recorded... between spring 2002 and autumn 2004," so I'am sticking with my opening line. In that space of time, XII Alfonso also released a live album, recorded what some regard to be one of the best tracks on Odyssey: The Greatest Tale, and hardly ever updated their web page. Eventually, however, they came out with this second album. The result, while definitely following the XII Alfonso style, is a little different from the first. There is less of a distinctively French sound, and there is a stronger use of jazz and discordant melodies. For me this is an advantage, as the band manage to cover more ground, and the album does not quite drag as much as the first, in spite of being nine minutes longer. Once again, the packaging is gorgeous, although this time the concept of the booklet being attached to the inside of a digipack seems to work better. Another notable difference is the complete lack of lyrics on this album, with the exception of the occasional voiceover speaking the words of Claude Monet. It is ironic that the most interesting track I have heard by XII Alfonso is from the afforemention Odyssey album, although they seem to be improving various aspects of their songwriting on this album. "Au Pays de l'Hiver," for example, is based around a repeating chord sequence and then built up, much in the style of Mike Oldfield. Whereas in the past, whenever the band has attempted things in this style, it has ended up striking me as a little banal, here they seem to have gotten the mix right. This, and several clever elements in other songs, have convinced me that XII Alfonso are continuing to grow and develop in their songwriting. This is another solid effort, and I think a step up on the first Claude Monet album. Anybody who enjoyed the first album would be remiss if they didn't give this one a try as well. Along with the continued narrative in the liner notes, little additions such as musical quotes from "Les Beaux Jours de Giverny" help tie this album effectively to the first. It's certainly refreshing to see that the sequel can sometimes be better than the original. review by Conrad Leviston — 1-23-07 —