Already well known as a talented guitarist, Niko Tsonev profile was raised by stepping up and becoming the touring guitarist and member of John Young’sLifesigns project, and whilst his guitar was missing from their debut album he toured with them from 2013 – 2016 becoming an integral part of the bands sound, and appearing on their successfully crowd funded live CD/DVD package ‘Under the Bridge’, and guests on their second release ‘Cardington’.
Stepping away from the Lifesigns, Niko has thrown himself into his latest project Moonparticle, and as a guitarist and performer of his calibre he could pretty much pick and choose who he works with, this means the band is full of talent like Craig Blundell on drums, Theo Travis on flute, Adam Holtzman on keys and Grog Lisee adding the female touch with her superb vocals.
The pedigree in this band suggests that what you’re about to listen to is going to be something special, and the huge bandwidth of genres that they span means that musically you’re going to be in for a treat.
In lesser musicians hands this eclectic mix of genres and styles would fall apart, and be a bit over complicated and cluttered, luckily we are listening to masters of their game, and you can tell they have enjoyed working on this album, as the musical ideas crackle with the sort of electricity that comes from bands just clicking.
Niko is definitely one of the finest guitarist plying his trade currently, and it’s no surprise that on tracks like Hurricane Esmerelda or Helium 1 & Helium IIhis guitar is at the fore, and it’s amazing how he can move from rocking out to pulling some fine melodic sounds out of the guitar.
Again, anyone who saw Lifesigns would know how important he was to the live sound and the stage presence he had.
You then get tracks like the sublime Strength of a Thousand Year Rose, an absolute epic rock ballad for want of a better word, where Grog’s amazing vocals come to the fore, and the solos that Niko pulls off throughout are the most melodically restrained, you can tell he is holding back and the restrain and power shines through.
There are quirky song titles that draw you in, and I do wonder in calling one track Reverend Mum whether one of the band is a fan of Phil Rickman’s Merrily Watkins books, throughout this track there is some lovely fluid guitar work, Blundells percussive work is on point as ever, and the way the guitar, percussion and subtle keyboard sounds work here are fantastic, ebbing flowing and building to a wonderfully euphoric finale.
This is also the second prog(ish) record to feature a track called Winter Mountain, and it’s about as far removed from the Mostly Autumn track as is possible to get, this one brimming with power and warmth.
Adam Holtzman and Theo Travis are sublime throughout, which is to be expected, and what is wonderful with this album is that whilst the guitar sound is at the fore, there is no hogging of the limelight, each artist gets room to breathe and the way they meld their sound is a joy to behold, all the while pulled together by the rock steady beat of Craig Blundell (who has been doing a sterling job with Lonely Robot recently) the haunting guitar and keys sound on the closer Leon’s Experiment, with some great crunchy riffs and powerful drumbeat, pulls this mightily accomplished album to a close.
Blending sublime instrumental work with some superb songs, and a cracking vocalist, Moonparticle have surpassed themselves and created what I reckon is the debut album of the year. A wonderful blend of genre hopping musical light and shade, heavy when it needs to be, chock full of tunes and serious musical talents at work, with vocals to die for. This is how to do a debut album and it shows to anyone who hasn’t realised yet, just how mighty a talent Niko Tsonev is.
A few years ago when I plied my trade for an alternative online prog magazine (not that they were alternative, just it was a different one that isn’t this one…. anyway…) I reviewed in fairly quick succession the debut and second album by Looking Glass Lantern, ‘A Tapestry of Tales’ & ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’, both based upon Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.
Both albums were the creation of multi-instrumentalist and composer Professor Graham Dunnington, and when you get the press release through for this new album, one that’s been 3 years in the making, and see that one of the quotes come from your review, ‘A superb fusion of Victoriana and prog. Almost a new genre in fact, can I get away with calling it Steamprog?’ You do feel quite chuffed to have accidentally created another genre (prior to me christening Rushdenbeat, and coining the term Britprog back in the mid 90’s) and get quoted in the press release.
Anyway it’s not all about me, it’s all about the music, and Looking Glass Lantern present their third album, and for the first time it is an original story.
Written and performed again by Graham Dunnington, it is also the first time he has released his records on CD, and so you get the full story in the lyrics and the sleeve notes, and the subtly understated artwork, all of which brings the narrative to life.
The previous albums (being based on literary works) had an obvious narrative drive of which the focus was just as much, if not more so on the words than the music, allowing the lyrics to shape and drive the album, and as this is a style that suits Dunningtons compositional skills, this album follows suit.
I mentioned in my previous reviews that this particular style could be compared with the Alan Parsons Project, and on this particular record Dunnington is stepping away from those comparisons. Of course it’s concept driven, there’s huge elements of traditional prog and narrative driven songs in it, and as a consequence, yes it’s going to be linked to that sub genre of prog. It’s not a bad thing; I have always loved an album that tells a story as long as the stories good, and this is a belter.
Professor Dunnington is fascinated with all things Victorian, and this drills down to the minutiae of an average Victorian household in the 1890’s.
Split into two parts, Part One is a series of interconnected songs that introduce us to the world of the servants who look after the family, thus we are treated to the quartet of songs, which do exactly as they say on the tin, The Maid, The Girl Nobody Knows (which gives us more insight into the life of the maid), The Cook, and The Governess and the Children. Those familiar with period dramas like Upstairs, Downstairs, House of Eliot, Downton Abbey and their ilk, are probably already familiar with the life ‘below stairs’ and in a nice introductory paragraph at the start of the booklet, there is a clever link to the occupants of the house today, with their own live in help the ‘au pair’ who, in these modern days of cost cutting does the job of three people, being cook/Maid and Governess.
Like the Looking Glass Lantern’s previous albums, based on Sherlock Holmes novels, there is as much emphasis placed on the lyrics as the music, and the album is as much a vehicle for the narrative as the music, and whilst it may seem a tad wordy at times, the strength of the music carries it through, and the skill of Dunnington’s composition skills helps pull both the story and music together.
There are some sublime instrumental moments on this album, the guitar work on The Governess and the Children for instance, whilst the vibe throughout is of a mellower vein. If you’re looking for something on the heavy end you’re in the wrong place.
This mixes Victoriana, narrative driven prog and instrumental dexterity that weaves in elements of rock and folk.
Being a versatile multi-instrumentalist Dunnington pulls some superb keyboard work out on The Angel of the Home, the track introducing the Mother to the story, whilst the final track of part 1, The Husband, neatly collects all the characters into one place.
Part 2, is what’s known as ‘the long track’ and if part 1 was the prologue, part 2 is the story proper.
A traditional tale of a middle class Victorian dinner party, with the hosts, the Husbands business partner and his wife, and the local Vicar.
A cast that normally sounds like a typical Ray Cooney/Brian Rix farce, however this is far from farcical, as all the modern (for the day) topics are digested, along with the meal, with discourse about politics, the Empire, the monarchy and all other topics of the day.
This is rounded off by a closing reprise of the opener the Maid, who is closing the house down, just like she opened it up, and closes the album with a nice flourish.
This is very much traditional story telling prog at it’s finest, and whilst it might not be everyone’s cup of earl Gray served up in a nice china mug, it fits nicely into that niche created by artists like The Alan Parsons Project, Rick Wakeman (during his big concept phase) and other artists like Gandalf’s Fist, who can take the narrative concept and turn it into a coherent musical whole.
If you enjoyed the first two albums this is a worthy return from the Looking Glass Lantern, if you’ve never heard them before, then it’s a great place to start.
Here’s a bit of that old serendipity doo dah that we often talk about. A few months ago at the behest of Good King Martin of Progradarshire I ventured forth on a cold wet Bristol Sunday evening to see Gavin Harrison and Bruce Soord steal pineapples in a German themed drinking den (which I’m reliably informed is larger than the feast) in the ensuing review which I am sure Martin will cleverly link to here, I discovered Godsticks for the first time.
My definition of a great support band is one where you enjoy the set so much you want to buy the album, I have discovered bands like Tilt and Jemima Surrender amongst others like this, and the only regret at the Godsticks gig was the fact that their set was heavily dependant on their next album ‘Faced With Rage’, which hadn’t been released yet.
Well, the good news for all you Godsticks fans, and all those who enjoyed their sets on the recent Pineapple Thief tours is that it’s now out, and I have been listening to it all week on my commute in, good job really, otherwise this would be a terribly pointless review (what’s new? Ed.).
Bit of history, Godsticks were formed in Cardiff back in 2008 the band has Darran Charles at the front, his guitar sound and vocals are an intrinsic part of Godsticks (and his work as touring guitarist for the Pineapple Thief also showcased his versatility) and he is ably accompanied by guitarist Gavin Bushell, bassist Dan Nelson and ‘new boy’ – drummer Tom Price.
Live, Godsticks are a mixture of power, aggression and melody, and the new material they played sounded like it had been part of the set forever.
On record there is obviously a more subtle dynamic at work, and it is refreshing to hear a four piece traditional style guitar band sounding on record like they do on stage, there is no technical malarkey tampering with the songs, these are songs designed to be played full tilt in the context of a concert, and the fact that they work so well in both arenas is a testament to the writing and production.
This is the bands 4th album, and they weren’t a band I had ever heard of prior to seeing them rip the stage up on tour with the Pineapple Thief, and I’ll hold my hands up here and state I had seen them described as prog metal, which to this listener is a bit of a turn off. A lot of the new prog metal stuff is just loud music that goes on too long.
I would not describe Godsticks as prog metal, they have the knack for writing a catchy tune, they have a dynamic twin guitar sound that propels the music forward, and they are probably at the heaviest end of the music that would appeal to me, but prog metal? No.
In layman’s terms Godsticks Rock! They have an impressive musical armoury, and certainly live having an extra guitarist to do some of the heavy lifting allows Charles to be the front man he so obviously is. His exceptional vocal range and guitar playing, in tandem with Gavin Bushells guitar work, is one of the many highlights of this album, and tracks that they powered through live, like Open Your Eyes or Guilt are superb examples of the finest hard rock sounds, whilst on longer pieces like the excellent Everdrive, this is the sound of a band pushing themselves and moving forwards.
Godsticks live are an energetic and impressive prospect, on record they reinforce that opinion and to their credit have created an album that wholly reflects who they are as musicians, with what sounds to me like no compromises.
Based on the live show I saw I was expecting to enjoy this record, having heard it, I absolutely love it, and it has snuck in under the radar at the end of the year as what could be one of the top ten albums of 2017.
Some of my favourite albums are ‘Full House’ by Fairport Convention, ‘Ten Man Mop, Or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides Again’ by Steeleye Span, ‘Morris On’, ‘No Roses’ by Shirley Collinsand the Albion Country Band and ‘The Bones of All Men’ by Richard Thompson, Phillip Pickett and TheFairport Rhythm Section.
See it’s most definitely not all about the prog, and why do these albums draw me in? It’s because they straddle a wonderfully eccentric line, they walk the tightrope between the traditional music of different era’s and the great big electric beastie that is rock music, taking tunes that would normally be played acoustically and amplifying them up, and let’s face it some of the music is pretty far out there before you start adding electric guitars and drums and bass.
This is where Agusa come in, another album Lord Martin of Progradar Towers reckoned would be right up my alley, over it came, and me, never having even heard of the band before, thought you know what, let’s have a listen and see what I reckon.
If you want a quintet of musically talented Swedes jamming together, mixing early Pink Floyd, traditional music and some highly complex and layered instrumental music, with the flute sound reminiscent of 70’s Tull filtering through it, then my friends you are in the right place.
Formed back in 2013 by Mikael Odesjo (guitar) and Tobias Petterson (bass) the band has grown organically to include Jonas Berge on keyboards, Tim Wallander on drums and percussion and Jenny Puertas on flute.
These five tracks here are a heady psychedelic musical brew as on tracks like Sorgenfri (at 5 minutes the shortest track on here) the duetting between Puertas flute, Berge’s amazing Hammond sound and the guitar of Odesjo sound like a collision between late 60’s Deep Purple and late 60’s Tull, with an absolute driving beat powered by Wallander and Petterson, the momentum builds and builds leaving you with a great big daft grin on your face, all built up round tunes and melodies that sound vaguely traditional in feel.
This is Agusa’s strength; all the tunes and melodies on this album are imminently hummable and are performed with the right balance of subtlety and power, and there is so much going here that you hear new bits every time you listen.
I am, and always will be, a sucker for mixing traditional sounds with electrical rock bands (hence my love of orchestral rock like ELO, Deep Purple’s Concerto for Group and Orchestra, Mike Oldfield amongst many others) and the way that the flute is the substitute for the voice here is sublime.
Den Förtrollade skogen (the enchanted forest – according to translate) is all Elizabethan in intent with the flute and sounds that push the flute to the fore, whilst Wallander and Petterson get to show their chops off with some incredibly funky breaks, and another amazing solo from Berge on keyboards.
This album is chock full of wonderful musical moments like this, and put an absolute smile on the face.
With two tracks here (Landet Längesen & Bortom hemom) clocking in at over 10 minutes long, these are where the band really stretch out and pull all their influences together, and it is a testament to their skill and power that this album is an absolute delight to listen to.
Jenny Puertas on the flute is a star throughout, the sound weaving and soaring throughout, pushing the tunes on where needed, pulling back when it’s time for Jonas Berge to play some of his lovely wonderfully jazzy blues riffs on his delightfully retro Hammond sound. There is no finer sound than a Hammond in full flow, and there is plenty to delight fans of that sound here, there’s a touch of the Jon Lords or Graham Bonds about the sound, and it’s that wonderful melting pot of blues, rock, jazz and everything else that adds so much to this album, and pushes it out of traditional genre boundaries.
The soaring riffs and singing melodies of Mikael Odesjo’s guitar beautifully compliments the keyboard and flute, and whilst he has his moments it’s interesting to hear how he pulls back to let the flute fly. Of course the back line of Wallander and Petterson are the rocks on which this mighty castle of sound can be built, and the intuition and skill all 5 bring to the table is a masterclass in musical collaboration.
This is an absolute must for anyone who likes the instrumental sound of early Pink Floyd, the playfulness and intricacy of 70’s folk rock and intelligent well-made instrumental music.
It appears that this is Agusa’s third album – looks like I’ve got a back catalogue to go visiting…
From the opening chords to first sentences from the opening titles of the Twilight Zone dropping into the rhythms I remember hearing on the 60s teen movies where the kids moved in strange gyrations to the psychedelic sounds of the club scene. That is just the first track,Death is the Doors, from this Finnish band hailing from Kuopio. They are distinctly drawing their influences from the 60’s underground scene but they also pull from other areas of influence for the spread of music on this anthology of stories ripped from the dark imaginations of the band.
It has short, punchy and powerful music with intelligence and accessibility as well as a lot of variety. There are also longer pieces that stretch the listener and allow for musical expression and variation.
You and Eyes, at 7 minutes long, has moments of slow intensity and space which drifts and takes the listener along on a journey inside yourself and descends into madness with heavy distorted metal guitar sounds and then out again.
Radio Aquarius is an all too brief musical scoring to a conversation about LSD that drops straight into Return to Hallucinate, following the actual trip to drop the acid and fall down the rabbit hole again. This lets me talk about the eponymous Jess and her vocal style and skill. She has an incredible range but has total control of it. I hear much of Grace Slick in there but also I hear Janis Joplin and Nina Simone on some of the pieces as well. She is fearless and fills the space with a primitive energy with her voice.
This 9 track album is thoroughly refreshing and exciting and reminds me of how good some of these new bands are right now. They cannot be pigeonholed and are driving their own destiny in a musical sense. They draw like magpies from the history of modern music from the Jazz of the 50s to the NWOBHM of the 80s to the Psychedelica of the late 60s, and I even hear bits of Siouxsie Sue briefly in Jess’ intonation. The musicianship is excellent and they have a very cohesive feel where no one dominates. The bass and percussion are a powerful engine in this machine but know when to drop the revs and disappear so the keys and guitar and become light and carry the musical journey where it needs to go. The use of speech sections is liberal but not intrusive and fits very well into the album and the whole of the narrative.
Who will like this? Anyone truly interested in music who is willing to slip outside their personal silo and loves to hear a band joyously celebrating being able to write and play music. Fans of Birdeatsbaby, Half past Four, and Purson will either already be aware of them, if not check em out NOW! If you think they grew from a Finnish Death metal band and only began in 2010 then they definitely are on my one to watch list.
Released 1st December 2017
Buy the album in various formats from Svart Records:
Wobbler, a Norwegian band formed in 1999 near Hønefoss; no, I had no idea until I looked either; release their fourth album.
Who are Wobbler?
Lars Fredrik Frøislie – keyboards, backing vocals, Kristian Karl Hultgren – bass, bass clarinet, bass recorder, Martin Nordrum Kneppen – drums, percussion, recorder, Andreas Wettergreen Strømman Prestmo – vocals, guitar, glockenspiel, percussion, Geir Marius Bergom Halleland – lead guitar, backing vocals.
It is a 4 track album with 3 tracks between 10 and 20 minutes and one that comes in at 3 minutes. On my first play through I am going to own up to having some immediate judgements on the band and the music they make. I am new to them and have not heard any of their music, I am though a fan of Trevor Pinnock and his work creating authentic music on the instruments in the classical field and I see something of this in the music of Wobbler and their desire to create the authentic sound of the bands of the “golden age” of progressive rock. They also have channeled the bands of the time as key influences of creative process.
From Silence to Somewhere is the opener and at 21 minutes is indicative of the desire to be the wormhole to the late 60s and early 70s. Musically it carries the spirit of the 70s but is recorded in an analogue way through digital technology. We then have a quandary because sonically this is better than their heroes, or at least those they seem to witch to emulate. Mellotrons, time changes, light and shade abound with woodwind of the medieval instruments and flute dropping in left right and centre. The harmonies are well constructed and the jigsaw puzzle of the music fits together inch perfect, well nanometre perfect. It is very slick.
Rendered In shades of Green is a simpler beast., piano and strings with light percussion that lifts from a requiem overture to something with more of a lightness of touch.
That is light relief for Fermented Hours hits like a steam hammer through a polystyrene wall. Over 10 minutes of more rapidly changing musical sound scapes than may actually be good for the health.
Finally Foxlight, pastoral in its introduction and lightness, is a relief after the previous track. Harmonies and a very acoustic drive to it give the listener a memory of laying in a hay meadow by the moon light in a balmy summers evening. Well at least for the first 3 minutes before they crash into a full-on-band-beast; Harpsichord flute bass and drums dance around each other for supremacy with Andreas’ vocals bouncing along the track to narrate the storyline.
I am going to be honest, I have no idea what the songs are about and I am not trying to get inside the heads of the writers. They are obviously passionate about what they do and are focused on creating music that is a reflection and wear the musical influences like a heart on their collective sleeves. They draw directly from the source and you can hear it. Fans of King Crimson, PFM, Gentle Giant, Jethro Tull, Gryphon, The Tangent and Big Big Train will find something in this album worth listening to and enjoying. There is a market for their music and, after being done over by the visa department by the good old USA this summer, some recompense is due to them.
Here In deepest Berkshire, not much seems to happen, or is not in the public domain until after the fact.
George Michael lived down the road from us, we didn’t know until after his sad departure. All his good deeds then became public knowledge. His success enabled him to fund people and causes as he saw fit, quietly and without the media spotlight glare.
A true Rock star attitude.
Ian Paice lived around here and, in a previous life, I got to know him whilst he purchased video games for his kids. Another unassuming Rock N Roll Legend living his life in full view here.
Jimmy Page passed me and my kids in a shop, I wished him a good afternoon and we went on our way. “Who was That Dad?” asked the eldest. “That, daughter dear is a god. A rock star. “He’s not, he’s just an old man!”. Ah. The perception of youth!
He’s renowned for searching out bargains at the local record fair, again, quiet, unassuming, living his life amongst us mere mortals.
We now have new gods amongst us. Prog Gods! Local boys make good!
After the great Prog explosion of the 80’s and 90’s that gave us 12th Night, Pure Reason Revolution and then Arena, this little corner of the shires has now again performed above its weight, we are now proud to claim The Room, *Frost (well John M anyway) and now I Am The Manic Whale as our home town heroes, even though in keeping with the invisibility cloaks gifted to musicians around here, the members can walk around, getting on with their non-musical lives.
Which is not to say this is an underwhelming album. Far from it. There are hooks galore, guitars are riffed on, keyboards pounded, drums thumped, and the final mix has had the magic of Rob Aubrey sprinkled on it.
After the sheer unthrottled joy of hearing their debut (I think it was one of my first pieces of scribble translated by the Wallet emptier!) I waited for the rest of the Universe to catch on.
And waited.
Then I waited a bit more for the 2nd output. I pledged to fund it, as I had the first. And it’s now arrived, resplendent in excellent art that deserves a vinyl release just to show off the art! Mr. Plane Groovy, one for your shopping list, not only for the cover but also the tunes locked inside.
Act 2 – the tunes
The album opens with big bouncy guitar riffs and keyboards – They’ve gone all Deep Purple on me. The vocals kick in and the 2-part harmony lead is back to IATMW territory. Vocals are clean, and the lyric is enunciated clearly, the subject however is a first for me.
This tale of The Man With Many Faces (no, not a politically satirical barb) unfurls like his “fourteen-foot scarf” would. The opening verses paint him as an avenging devil, to be hidden from and avoided at all costs. Musically, this is deep into the furrow ploughed by It Bites, that wonderful mix of Pop and Prog they exemplified, the harmony vocals add to the layers of this sonic package.
The song unfurls with some nice guitar and keyboard touches, and the story takes a darker turn as we learn more of this fearsome enemy, who “If you strike him down with all your hate, He comes right back up looking great”.
As some antipodean disgraced paint pusher once remarked “can you tell who it is yet?” Live, I can see a gleeful audience pogoing away to the middle eight, it’s very Calling All The Heroes. Not many prog bands make your feet tap and your body want to move, but his track does.
Is that enough for those that need to know to ask that most dreaded question – “Is it Pr…”
ENOUGH?!
Sorry. It’s music, I like it. End of classification and rant. Back to the plot and the twist. The narrator, hiding from this One-man extinction plan, is a member of that race of mobile pepper pots that terrified a generation, of kids hiding behind the sofa.Yup. The time traveler as seen through the eyes of those he opposes.
The ordinary low-level megalomaniac, going about their task of exterminating all life that infest the universe, warning it’s offspring to fear that scarf wielding face changer. Dalek Prog – a whole new genre is formed in this one track. The guitar solo at the climax pulls us out from that particular reality and we arrive back on Planet Earth for the 2nd track, The Milgram Experiment.
Prog songs based on historical events and people have proved popular over the years. Genesis gave us Driving The Last Spike about Brunel and the Railways, Big Big Train gave us songs about forgers, Big Big Trains (😊) , even Todd Rundgren threw in the epic Hiroshima, one of the slew of anti-nuclear war songs that the paranoid cold war years spawned .
Scientists as a subject matter are rarer creatures. Cold Play gave us a generic subject, Hawkwind immortalized Einstein as “a rather handsome fellow that no one ever called Al”.
The subject here is less photogenic than Uncle Albert, but his thinking had an equally profound effect on people. Stanley Milgram carried out psychological tests in the early ‘60’s, he was “interested in researching how far people would go in obeying an instruction if it involved harming another person.” (thanks Wikipedia!)
I had read about this years ago; the track takes us through the testing and the dilemma it exposes in each of those involved. There are some great harmony vocals here, not quite the polished perfection of Moon Safari, but heading in that direction. The multi-tracked guitar solo evokes early Queen, as do those layers of vocals.
Two tracks in, a great opening salvo where we get inside the head of the scourges of a particular universe and their fear and then get to contemplate the effects of blindly obeying orders like good sheeple . No love songs, no dragons, steam punks or dystopian nightmares yet.
Track 3 is equally distant from those staples. The Lifeboatmen is another epic Historical piece, this time with a more nautical theme, more in keeping with the band’s name! Opening with a haunting ambient intro, what sounds like an amalgamation of Yes (Jon Anderson era and peak codpiece era Jethro Tull) paint us a vivid picture of the eponymous heroes.
We are pulled out on the rip tide of some lovely keyboard and flute, rolling with the waves as the coastal life takes center stage. The song changes tempo with the advent of the storm warning – we are off out into the choppy waves, out to assist a ship in distress. The evocation of the storm and waves crashing around the lifeboat is well constructed and the sea shanty style vocals paint a picture of the bravery of those volunteers as they go about their mission.
If you enjoyed the tale of Winkie the super hero pigeon told by David Longdon and BBT, then this track will be just the thing for you. Swirling rhythms, tasty guitar and keys all combine to stunning effect, with the change in tempo adding emphasis to the amazing feat told in the song- 40 men and a dog saved off the coast of Cromar in 1941. We then get a lovely closing guitar piece, the instrumentation and lyricism of which warms the cockles of many an old Camel fan. Flute and keyboards play us out, the coda serving to poignantly return the volunteers to their normal lives, superheroes in plain sight.
Next up is a proper Prog epic – Strandbeest. A proper Prog track, it’s in 2 parts, an instrumental celebrating the strange beast illustrated on the cover and throughout the digipack. Created by a Dutch artist, Theo Jansen, the strandbeest is part sculpture, part animal, part robot. Desolate in their beauty, they roam the beach powered by the elements.
The track tells their story, it has Yes style multiple voices, creating a vivid mental image of the beast as it moves, the band stretch out and get almost funky in places. Yes playing alongside Frank Zappa was my original scribble – The climatic guitar solo takes a shine from Mr. Gilmour, cutting through the mix and driving on, building up to a grand finale. Live, I can imagine this is the guitarist’s big piece, head back, shapes thrown as he solos away, the drums and chorus joining for a fabulous ending that makes you want to go back and play it all again.
Across the first 4 tracks, The Whale have captivated me with some great instrumentation, interesting lyrics and intelligent subjects. Considering this is only their second album, I am amazed at the sheer musical joy captured here. The interplay between the instruments in I’ll Interlude You In A Minute is as good as that from bands with decades of experience who are road tested and slick professionals
Stand Up is a different beast, another epic multi part track, staring with a semi-acoustic, almost jazzy piece, it’s more “traditional “70’s style in structure, a bit Supertramp or Yes in places. Lyrically though, this is very contemporary. Under the layers of multi- tracked vocals and acoustic guitars lies much anger and resentment about the state of the world we find ourselves living in.
It’s not about left or right, black or white, in or out as someone should say. It’s about being involved.Written by John Murphy, these 4 acts are a modern protest song. The call to arms lyric is suggesting it’s time that we “Stand Up”, think for ourselves, not blindly swallow the agenda we are fed.
“Rain”, act 2 questions the approach of the media, stirring up division and resentment for whatever reason. “Your Holy War”, act 3, is a stinging rebuke of fundamentalism, the fallacy of “ lives paid in service due to a god that we never knew” Act 4 offers a ray of hope, a coming together a rebranding of the hippy ideals so that If we do work at it, “We can build a world for everyone”.
Naïve? Possibly, but it’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.
The last track takes this theme and expands on it. One (Hopeful song) is a fitting album finale, the themes from the previous tracks are woven into a song of hope.
Act 3 – The Conclusion
This track shows just how much The Whale have assimilated the last 50 years of music, they’ve managed to take the glorious almost classical vocal layering that made Yes so ethereal, add in some fine instrumental techniques, some great guitar riffs and keyboard flourishes and write songs, proper songs that lift the spirit, make you think and tap your feet, all at the same time.
If you liked It Bites, have explored the wonders of the Unitopia / United Progressive Fraternity collaborations and have a desire to listen with both ears, then you could do far worse than allow this whale to captivate you with its song. The musicianship, production and sheer breadth of subject matter make this a “proper” old school Progressive Rock album.
We could discourse about the state of the music industry today, bemoan the fact that major labels are all run by Reality TV obsessed ‘Celebrity as product’, faceless corporate drones who care for nothing but the bottom line of a balance sheet, OR we could encourage those listeners to live a little, look beyond HMV and Amazon, persuade them that the choppy waters of the ocean of talent out there is worth dipping a toe or two in. Spread the word, Good music is out there, it’s just obstructed by that mountain of albums of bad karaoke put out by the cynical for the gullible.
Nexus: noun 1) a connection or series of connections linking two or more things, 2) a central or focal point.
Now I don’t normally start reviews with quotes from the dictionary, but it seemed apt here to draw the music to the title, thoughts which I shall return to.
I have always been a great believer that those musicians who are flesh and blood, kith and kin have a unique bond that no musician in band can ever emulate.
Siblings like the Everley Brothers, the Wilson brothers from the Beach Boys, and then familial musical units like the mercurial Waterson:Carthy (father Martin Carthy, mother Norma Waterson and daughter Eliza Carthy) or the majestic Thompson family, Richard and former wife Linda at the top with son Teddy, daughters Muna and Kami and grandson Jack Hobbs, not necessarily proof that the families who play together stay together, but proof of an intrinsic knowledge and interplay that is based far more on the gene than the group.
Again heading closer to home, having seen Rick and Adam Wakeman together in action, familial musicians can second guess the other, there’s a shared bond, a shared connection and a lot of soul going into collaborating together, and it reflects in the tightness of the music played, and the enjoyment the listener gets from hearing it.
Sadly on this album, the joy of the playing, and the magic contained within is bittersweet, as most of you will be aware that multi-instrumentalist Virgil Howe sadly passed away on 11th September, so this album stands as full stop instead of a new chapter, a story ending.
This fact does colour the perception of the record sadly, and the overall feeling throughout is one of loss, not from the music, which I’ll come onto later, but the loss of one hell of a talented individual with so much more to contribute. (he was 41 years old, just short of 2 years older than me when he passed away, brings your own mortality into sharp contrast). The Howe family could, in their grief over such a massive loss, sat on this album, and it’s to their credit that they are letting this album out as planned, as a perfect musical tribute to a beloved son, brother and it goes without saying that all of our thoughts are with them during their time of grief.
Virgil Howe first came to my attention back in 2003 when he gave some of the Yes back catalogue an inspired overhaul on the ‘Yes Remixes’ album, which, after ‘Open Your Eyes’ is probably the most divisive Yes release. I thought it was bloody marvellous how he’d taken older songs and put a fresh spin on them with style and without losing any of the original charm.
As a drummer, which is how he plied his trade, he was ever present in Little Barrie and also for the FSOL Amourphous Androgynous tour, working with artists as diverse as his father and the Pet Shop Boys as well as forging as big a reputation as his father, but in a completely different musical sphere.
Here, ‘Nexus’ is the meeting of two musical minds, where Steve Howe lets his guitar doing all the talking (performing on acoustic/electric and steel guitars) and Virgil does everything else (keyboard,piano, synth, bass and drums) in the press release for this record Steve states that “We started to work together in 2016 by selecting about nine tunes from his ‘stockpile’ of piano based music that he’d periodically sent Jan & I each time he’d written and recorded a new idea. I began adding guitars to them, then I’d play them to Virgil. He’d then surprise me by bringing up other channels of instrumentation which I’d never heard. The tunes went from straightforward ‘duets’ to something bigger & better, more of a complete picture than a mere shape.”
This inventive playfulness is at the heart of this record, and being a canny musician and producer Virgil is well aware that when you have Steve Howe playing guitars you don’t mess about.
The opener and title track eases us straight in with some of that instantly recognizable guitar work, before Virgil cleverly builds the song around it, his piano work providing a brilliant counterpoint to the guitar as both soar until all that is stripped away leaving a sublime Howe guitar solo and drum beat, that builds into a shimmering climax.
Hidden Planet flips it on it’s head being all skittering beats, descending piano chords and elements of drum and bass sneaking in, showing Virgil’s background, as amidst the funk he weaves through some astonishing guitar work, that just fits perfectly.
There are examples of both of their musical abilities that shine throughout this album, the haunting piano and guitar duet on Leaving Aurora for instance or the heartbreaking musical poignancy in Nick’s Star (a tribute from Virgil to his best friend Nick Hirsh who had passed away). Astral Plane comes closest to the most traditionally progressive sound on here, an instrumental of the sort that would fit on any Yes album of the last 20 years, whilst Infinite Space is an absolute belter of a song, encapsulating the album into one 2 minute piece.
There isn’t a bad track on this all instrumental album, and what Virgil ever so carefully, and cleverly does, is take the best of his Steves guitar work (which is exemplary here, he is sounding relaxed, sounding powerful and above all, sounding like he is having an absolute blast) whilst doing something ever so slightly different with what you would expect.
This twist moves this away from the traditional prog sound that you would expect from Steve, and into new, and exciting territory.
As a complete record it brings both generations together, pulling Steve’s experience as one of prog’s finest guitarists, and Virgil’s experience as a contemporary rock drummer and skilled DJ into one coherent whole, where the contradictory styles create a well produced and performed musical concept. It’s spans generations, genres and disciplines to create an album that is as timeless as it is genre-less, and that is Virgil’s skill on here, he coaxes the best out of Steve, and then sympathetically and cleverly works round the riffs to create musical duets, taking the guitar lines as living breathing things to be shaped and moulded. Which is why it works so well on so many levels, he’s not taking Steve’s work as sacrosant and not playing with it, however there’s also that familial intuition at work, where he knows instinctively what will work well where, and it shows both of them, world class musicians at the top of their game.
This album could have worked as the start of fruitful and exciting familial collaboration (would have been really interesting to see Virgil, Steve and Dylan Howe working together) but sadly it isn’t to be. Instead this diamond of a release is one to be celebrated and enjoyed as a living breathing record, performed by a Father and Son who sound like they are taking great delight in doing what both of them do best, and that is how we should enjoy it, as a celebration of life, of art and of the power of music to unite us in both sorrow and joy.
Music touches us, affects us and moves us every day. It doesn’t have to be up-beat cheerful music to make us happy and mournful, sorrowful songs won’t always make you sad. Music has a beauty and grace however it is sung and played.
I’ve been listening to the fourth album from American roots and folk duo The Winterlings and, it must be said, ‘American Son’ is not a release full of mirth and frivolity, it’s a collection of songs from the heart, delivered with honesty and sincerity and one that will move you on a most personal level.
Wolff Bowden grew up in a house on stilts, fifteen feet above a Florida swamp. In Wolff’s dreams it was always winter, stood beside a bonfire, singing to half-animal, half human beings called Winterlings. Two decades later they had come to symbolise life’s deepest callings and he abandoned medical school for visual art.
Around the same time Amanda Birdsall was working on a doctorate in psychology when she looked down to find her notebook full of song lyrics. Walking out of class, she grabbed her guitar and drove to Canada to work on organic farms in exchange for food and tiny rooms to write songs by candlelight.
After meeting at a Buddhist fire ritual, Wolff and Amanda drove from Florida to the Pacific Northwest where they soaked up seven years of rain to give birth to over fifty songs. Singing from the depths of the American wilderness, The Winterlings shine their literary lyrics on subjects ranging from trangender Civil War soldier Jenny Hodgers to a friend’s lung transplant…and the life story of a housefly.
‘American Son’ is an intense experience from start to finish, opening track The Ghost of Leonardresulted from Wolff being visited by the ghost of Leonard Cohen while deep in meditation and it is quite a dark and yet deeply moving song with Wolff’s deep vocals reminiscent of the great man himself. Mournful and fragile, accompanied by the ethereal beauty of the violin and acoustic guitar, it is incredibly poignant and left a rather large lump in my throat. Title track American Son is songwriting at its basic and very best with an addictive chorus and a feeling of regret running throughout. The sparse instrumentation is the backdrop on which Wolff’s distinctive vocal weaves its story, Amanda adding her more lustrous voice in a great harmony.
Gold has a feel of the Old West to it with the opening languid harmonica and Amanda’s vocal brings in a real 70’s folk feel. Wistful and nostalgic at heart, there’s an unhurried frankness to the song. The easygoing guitar brings your pulse rate down and a calmness and composure envelops your very being. There is a sombre grace to both Birthplaceand The Dead, imbued by Wolff’s excellent voice and the basic grace of the music. Touching and sentimental, these songs really get to you on a personal level, I find myself stopping whatever it is I’m doing and just listening. They are captivating and bewitching and the ability of Wolff and Amanda to hold you in their spell is incredible.
There’s more of a lighthearted feel to Owl Mountain with it’s childlike charm and innocence. Amanda’s voice is a great counterpoint for Wolff’s more earnest and austere delivery and the sparsity of the instrumentation works perfectly. With a feeling of regret and loss,Puget Sound really tugs at your heartstrings with its raw heartache and yet it really touches you with its candid sincerity, you can’t help but become caught up in the story that is being laid out before you.
Sunspeech takes the allure of a simple acoustic guitar and Amanda’s wonderful vocal to give you a song that seems to be able to cleanse your soul. The plaintive strains of the harmonica add a real wistful, sepia tinged atmosphere to this absorbing piece of music and a touch of sadness fell over me when it came to a close. Wolff’s vocal has a rueful almost remorseful edge as he sings the opening lines of World To Change, there’s a feeling of restful change about the lyrics, “We won’t wait for the world to change…”. A plea to the world to change before it’s too late. That Was Alaska closes out the album on a thoughtful and reflective note and ,as the last note is played, I realise I’ve been at the centre of an utterly inspiring and satisfying musical journey.
With ‘American Son’ melancholy and wistfulness have never been so beautiful. A beguiling and entrancing musical journey through love, loss and regret where you feel every high and every low. The Winterlings have delivered a superb collection of songs that will stay with me for a very long time.
Ever since I met Iain Sloan and was introduced to the Americana of The Wynntown Marshals I have been hooked on that sound and the heartache and melancholia of love-and-loss that is at the heart of country-folk. Music that tugs at your heartstrings, there’s nothing more wonderfully emotive than a well played lap or pedal steel guitar in my opinion!
The next release from Loudon Temple at Bloody Great PR that I’m investigating falls slap bang in the middle of that territory, the self-titled release from Boston, Massachusetts country-folk quartet The Novel Ideas. Incredibly plaintive 4- part vocal harmonies and that blend of pedal steel, guitar, fiddle and organ which produces such a distinctive and American sound.
Four friends – Sarah Grella (vocals), Danny Hoshino (guitar, pedal steel, vocals), James Parkington (bass, vocals) and Daniel Radin (guitar, vocals) – who contrive to convey honesty and intimacy through their music. Capturing the renowned spirit of their live performance in recorded from was a challenge, but the result is a heartfelt representation of who The Novel Ideas are.
There’s a real feel of love and longing at the core of The Novel Ideas and it produces a sound that is utterly addictive. The vocal harmonies are at the entre of the band’s unique sound and they imbue everything with a dignified and refined grace. Wistful nostalgia and melancholy are at the heart of songs like opener I’m Not Waiting and the tone of the pedal steel guitar is full of longing and sentiment.
The great fiddle playing of Eva Walsh adds country polish to I’ll Try, a touching song that speaks of regret and loss and the vocal harmonies take centre stage on the pastoral Americana of Old Ways. This record is an immersive musical epxerience and you find yourself becoming more and more involved in the stories of small town America, the beauty and fragility of Broken Glass is superb, a song that tugs at every single one of your heartstrings and will produce a lump in your throat with its ethereal grace.
Music that speaks of broken hearts and the ending of life’s journeys but that does so with sympathy and compassion, the mournful grace of Sarah Grella’s vocals really stands out on Lost On The Road but it is when the four-part vocal harmonies take centre stage that this refined quartet are at their absolute best. Take the wonderful The Blue Between Us, here the vocals are used as an extra instrument to give one of the best tracks on the album and Danny give sone of his best performances on the pedal steel, there’s something heartwarming about the music that The Novel Ideas create and while its themes might be regret and loss, there is always the hope that love will be our saviour.
The warmth and humility of the music shines through on Farmwhich has a more straightforward country sound to it, although elegantly polished, again Danny’s pedal steel stands out, this time accompanied by the sublime fiddle playing of Eva Walsh. Additional kudos must be given to the fantastic drumming and percussion of Elena Bonomo and the piano and organ skills of John Waynelovich throughout the album. The calm unflustered grace of Dena is another standout track, the dignified, melancholic vocals accompanied by the captivating music that soars above you, its feels like a sad song but it is sadness tempered by real beauty.
Every song leaves its mark on your heart and your soul, Calling You Outand Mountain are both incredibly heartfelt pieces of music that hit you on a basic emotional level, grace, beauty and elegance combined in a simple musical package. Incredibly accomplished musicians who can wonderful write songs of love, loss, grief and joy that interact with you and your emotions perfectly, the album closes with the simple brilliance of the spiritual I Was Not Around. It’s a bittersweet poignant song whose fragile grace is tempered by the feeling of loss and sorrow. An emotive track to close out an album of emotional highs and lows.
Such an emotional rollercoaster, The Novel Ideas have created a beautiful collection of songs that hit you hard on a basic emotional level. Incredible musicians as well as highly accomplished musicians, Americana and country-folk has never been more appealing.
