Tag: Gareth Cole

Review – The Bardic Depths – What We Really Like In Stories – by JohnWenlock-Smith

The Bardic Depths formed when Canary Islands resident Dave Bandanna sought out musical contributions and assistance from fellow Big Big Train ‘passengers’ on a project that he was working on. The response being so positive that Dave decided to turn the project into a band to make an album, which became The Bardic Depths first album ‘The Bardic Depths’.

‘What We Really Like In Stories’, the collective’s third offering, arrives in March and offers eight more tracks of their rather unique, intelligent and different take on progressive music. The eight songs are mainly just under the six minute mark, although there are two longer tracks in ‘Vendetta’ and ‘Whispers In Space’.

This album is based on authors and their writing. The lyrics are all written by the band and Dr Brad Birzer, an American history professor at Hillsdale college, Michigan in the United States Of America. Once again, the album has a core group of musicians alongside Dave Bandanna. We find Peter Jones on vocals, whistles, clarinet, trumpet and alto saxophone, Gareth Cole on electric and acoustic guitars and guitar orchestrations and Tim Gehrt on drums and percussion. Dave himself provides lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, keyboards and programming.

The album opens with a delightful, if brief, overture, Genius which itself leads into the first song proper, What We Like In Stories, which brilliantly recounts a conversation between CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien in which both authors expressed their dissatisfaction at the lack of books that contained what they would like to read. So they decided to write some for themselves, they tossed a coin and the outcome decided that Lewis would write the ‘space’ stories whilst Tolkien would write time travel stories, the term science fiction having not been coined at this stage. From this decision came CS Lewis’ ‘Out Of The Silent Planet’, ‘Perelandra’ and ‘That Hideous Strength’, all of which saw Lewis’ talents recognised in both the UK and North America, indeed, one could say that CS Lewis and Ray Bradbury made science fiction respectable. Meanwhile JRR Tolkien’s efforts were unsuccessful in the short term, it was two decades before ‘Lord Of The Rings’ appeared and a further twenty for ‘The Silmarillion’ to appear. The next track is a haunting, mid-tempo piece, You’ve Written Poetry My Boy, which has a direct line to the works of Ray Bradbury and, in this song, we learn that Aldous Huxley thought that the words Bradbury writes about ‘so many brave new worlds‘ are like poetry. This has a good saxophone solo from Peter Jones and great guitar orchestrations and flourishes from Gareth Cole. Vendetta concerns the works of comic book writer Alan Moore and takes the theme of one of his books ‘V for Vendetta’, set in a near future time, in a dystopian society where one has to make a stand against the way society is being led by those in charge. However, in this song our hero is finding that to be a challenge and hides away, refusing to face what is going on around him. We are told that silence is a fragile thing and that hiding away and not being involved is not the answer to the predicament or the issue. Musically, this a very good track with lots of interesting parts including fine guitar, keyboards and excellent drums, all with a very strong rhythm.

Old Delights is a homage to writers, a celebration of their talents and how their words can cause us not only to think but also to view things, people and situations in a different light, a very considered viewpoint. It is another fairly brief track but gets its point over very stylishly and it also serves as a clever platform for the next song, The Feast Is Over, which is based the work of Robert E Howard. Howard is regarded as one of the first writers to write in the Fantasy genre and wrote ‘Conan The Barbarian’, which saw him regarded as the father of the Sword and Sorcery sub-genre of pulp fiction. This track features a very memorable refrain repeated on the closing parts, it is also one of the longer songs, meaning it has space to evolve organically. It opens with a gentle acoustic strumming and is is about Sword and Sorcery writings, the second part of the track becomes more expansive in sound with orchestrations playing. In this section there is a lengthy and beautifully expressive guitar solo that ends with some fiery slide guitar, it is a really strong and satisfying track on every level. Stillpoint is based around the writings of science fiction writer Walter M Miller Jr, who’s work went largely unpublished during his lifetime, another relatively short, but highly enjoyable, track. Whispers In  Space concludes the album in strong form, this one references the writings of Robert Rankin, an acclaimed writer whose style included, fantasy, comedy, conspiracy theories and steampunk elements. The lyrics are very clever, referencing in many oblique ways the sad death of Big Big Train’s own David Longdon, as in the line “The captain of the skies flies again…” Again, the music on this track is exquisite with lots happening. A graceful, expressive solo is played with great sensitivity and feel in a very special section of the track. Although the meaning of the song is possibly lost on me really, being a bit obscure and elusive, to my ears at least, the music is exciting and engaging on every level, making it a fitting conclusion to a very interesting and rewarding collection of songs.

With ‘What We Really Like In Stories’, The Bardic Depths take a subtly different route from what has gone before, the album having no central theme as such but, rather being a collection of songs inspired by literature. I enjoyed this album immensely and further, extended listens have allowed it to firmly secure a place in my heart and mind, I heartily recommend it.

Released 7th March, 2024.

Order download from bandcamp here:

What We Really Like In Stories (24bit/96k) | The Bardic Depths (bandcamp.com)

Order CD from Gravity Dream here:

The Bardic Depths – What We Really Like In Stories CD – Gravity Dream Music

Review – One Sided Horse – My Favourite City At Night In The Rain

The best music always has the power to move you, to immerse you in a beautiful story, a classic book or an Oscar winning film that is now being delivered as life changing and mood enhancing music. That’s because it’s not just music, it becomes almost part of you and affects you on a basic level, not just cerebrally but emotionally too.

I consider being a music reviewer to be an honour as I get to listen to artist’s creations that fit the description above perfectly, I’m like the great explorer’s of 1700’s and 1800’s, discovering things that others have yet to hear and it is an utter privilege when I am entrusted with these musical endeavours that are part of the being of the musician that creates them.

The singular talent that is Mark Whiteside has many strings to his artistic bow, Desks, Evil Blizzard and The Opening Song, to name a few but the musical project of One Sided Horse was how I was introduced to Mark by my friend and music guru Stuart Willoughby of Sound It Out Records (a music emporium that regularly relieves me of money as I add to my burgeoning vinyl collection).

Mark’s next One Sided Horse release is the sublime ‘My Favourite City At Night In The Rain’ on the 8th September and I have had the utmost privilege of being able to listen to the album for the last few weeks. Let me tell why I think this could well be one of the best pieces of songwriting of the last couple of decades…

Designed to be listened to as two sides of a vinyl album with no spaces between tracks, this music is best listened to with headphones on so you can immerse yourself in its wonder. Close your eyes and you will feel as if you are walking alone in the welcoming woods as the music succours you and calms your soul. The music has an intense fragility and beauty to it, the almost ABBA-like piano of opening, and title, track My Favourite City At Night In The Rain immediately engenders a feel of wonder and plaintive nostalgia and this just increases as the strings join in, giving an emotive depth that hits you right in the feels. The calm, wistful and hazy intro to The Overload Of Missing with its painfully elegant brass is emotion laid out as music and, above all, Mark’s recognisable, unique vocal gives everything a world-weary tinge, a feeling of poignancy and of having lived many lives, some great and some not so good. You allow the music to completely take over your life, lay back, let its sumptuous, contemplative wonder wash over you and just enjoy the yearning melancholy of that brilliant trumpet. There’s almost a harsh sincerity in the captivating and earnest Find The Time and a feel of the enigmatic folk music of Cornwall in its delivery, a superb song. There is sheer joy in the contemplative, dreamlike grace of Uneven Land with its refined guitar and piano and Mark’s haunting vocals that seem to catch in his throat, the dreamlike ending is utterly gorgeous. A Short Story From A Living Room In Philadelphia is a touching piece of music laid over a spoken word monologue by Grace Wohlsen that affects you way more than you would think it could Side one closes with the beguiling simplicity of Passing Years, a touching piece of music, left me emotionally drained with its shimmering fragility and beauty.

Side two opens with fragility seeping from the delicate refrains of the short but exquisite I Won’t Ask For More before the opening strains of the dynamic, charismatic and compelling Let’s Start Fires announce the arrival of one of the potent pieces on the album. Completed by the sweeping grandeur of the piano and string section, this song has real emotive power and depth that is only enhanced by the additional vocals of the talented Carol Hodge. Flightless has a mesmeric feel, a stylish captivating track that holds you in its thrall. The focus of the delightful Like Swans is the acoustic guitar and vocal that combine to deliver another lesson in the art of songwriting and especially that less is more. Swans mate for life and this exquisite piece of work is a love song and an ode to the permanency of life. The dramatic I Can’t Live Without Your Love brings a sense of drama to the album with an almost orchestral, movie soundtrack feel to the music, pared back and simple it may be but it’s as much about what’s between the notes and the words and the feelings the song creates in you than it is what you are actually hearing. Closing side two, and the album, is the Americana tinged, enrapturing grace of Close Swim. Reminiscent of hazy and lazy days with the delightful slide guitar in perfect harmony with the insouciant notes from a wonderfully played acoustic, this track is another incredible piece of songwriting that opens up into something quite wondrous and life affirming.

So, there you have it, ‘My Favourite City At Night In The Rain’ is quite possibly one of the most important albums you will listen to this year. If you want an example of why music is so wonderful and moves people in so many ways then you cannot pick a better example than this utterly triumphant work of art, Mark Whiteside and One Sided Horse please take a bow, I thank you from the bottom of my heart…

Track Listing:

  1. My Favourite City At Night In The Rain
  2. The Overload Of Missing
  3. Find The Time
  4. Uneven Land
  5. A Short Story From A Living Room In Philadelphia
  6. Passing Years
  7. I Won’t Ask For More
  8. Let’s Start Fires
  9. Flightless
  10. Like Swans
  11. I Can’t Live Without Your Love
  12. Close Swim

Mark was joined in One Sided House on this endeavour by the following great musicians:

Mickey Dale, Steve Firth and Mike Heaton (Embrace), Phil Hartley (Space), Gareth Cole (Drifting Sun, The Bardic Depths), Carol Hodge (Steve Ignorant), Norm Helm (The Animals).

Mickey Dale – all recording, production and mastering on the album.

Pre-orders open 4th August, 2023 ahead of an 8th September, 2023 release.

Pre-order here:

My Favourite City At Night In The Rain | One Sided Horse (bandcamp.com)

Review – The Bardic Depths – Promises of Hope – by John Wenlock-Smith

‘Promises of Hope’ is the second album from The Bardic Depths, the unusual group formed through the Big Big Train “Passengers” Forum which brought together the talents of a disparate group of individuals, united by musical interests. Their first, self-titled album told the story of the friendship between JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis and their experiences in The Great War. This new album also features CS Lewis along with Greek poet Virgil and its theme is that of suicide and redemption.

What is different this time though is that folks who were contributors last time have joined Dave Bandana and now become official members of the band, these being Peter Jones, Tim Gehrt and Gareth Cole. Once again, they are aided by historian Bradley Birzer who provides the lyrics and various other guests appear on the album (like Sally Minnear of Celestial Fire).

The subject matter might seem quite heavy and dark but the music is anything but. The story is that a Queen tries to kill herself but heaven will not allow it and offers redemption instead…

Right from the opener, And She Appeared, there is a new sense of presence in the band, Robin Armstrong’s sympathetic production certainly helps, as do the stellar performances of the whole ensemble. Some great sound effects and expansive keyboard sweeps lead into a triumphant fanfare of synths and a penny whistle before a thrusting bass line kicks in and Peter’s fabulous vocal begins, Dave Bandana joining in with the vocals as the song surges forward. This is exceptionally good stuff indeed and Gareth Cole’s is glorious too. The excellence of the opening track means the album really flies out of the gate with a great refrain of promises of hope but never victory, a truly epic song to start with.

Regal Pride follows and is a more even-paced track, although some fabulous saxophone licks and riffs pump up the tempo as the song tells of the failing of the relationship that caused her to want to commit suicide. It is very languid and almost lazy sounding, again some great classical guitar playing throughout makes a seriously good impression. Consumed opens with more classical guitar and sounds of the sea washing ashore. There’s more penny whistle from Peter Jones, that sounds uncannily akin to Men of Harlech, along with lovely violin from Olga Kent. This track is a slow burner and its folky interludes really add significantly to proceedings, It is all really impressive and a step forward from the debut album, the introduction of a core nucleus certainly helping with stabilisation of the music and allowing for more improvisation to occur naturally.

This is an album that has been carefully assembled and crafted and it shows in the strength of tracks, The Burning Flame continuing the story with some distinctive guitar lines from Gareth, in which he gets to contact his inner ‘Gilmour’, adding an epic scope to the song. The track talks about the Queen’s attempt to end it all and utterly captivating playing makes this a real highlight of the album thus far, you can intimately sense the loss of hope in this song.

Colours and Shapes follows with more moody saxophone, as an instrumental this gives free rein to the jazzy playing of Peter Jones and it is a wonderful thing to hear. When Tim Gehrt’s solid drumming kicks in, it really soars, heading off into lots of different directions until Gareth’s mighty guitar takes flight. It’s really fine track, epic even, with the cool sax segueing in to Why Are You Here?, the song opening with various voices asking ‘Why Are You Here?’, which sounds reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, as it shares a similar tempo and sound. The track also has a suitably moody and epic guitar solo.

Returned has a different feel to all that has gone before, sounding like an outtake from The Power Station, with its funky stylings and use of vocoder. In this song our Queen is advised to return to love as it is her path to redemption and you can get the 80’s vibe in this track. It is another highpoint in what is rapidly becoming an ambitious and really interesting album. The Essence continues the 80’s sound with heavy drums and lots of synths burbling away. ‘The universe may feel…’ is the refrain on this track and lots more superb saxophone makes it another winner

Imagine concludes the album, opening with a majestic church organ, courtesy of Richard Krueger, that makes a grand statement of intent. This is the redemption that has been offered and received by our Queen, more marvellous keyboards in the middle section and great vocals from Dave and Peter keep the song bubbling along. The guitar part is very reminiscent of a certain Steve Hackett, Gareth showing that he certainly can play in that style. This is a fitting finale to an album that is really something incredibly special indeed.

‘Promises of Hope’ will invariably appear in various end of year listings, and rightfully so too, for it is exceptionally good and I heartily recommend it to all.

Released June 24th, 2022.

Order direct from Gravity Dream here:

The Bardic Depths – Gravity Dream Music

Review – Drifting Sun – Forsaken Innocence

Drifting Sun are a UK-based Progressive Rock studio project. Their music has been described as dramatic, theatrical, and atmospheric, in the true style of Progressive Rock giants such as Dream Theater, Queensryche, Genesis and Jethro Tull, to name but a few of the bands that influenced their sound.

Or so says the PR material, well, with the addition of renowned greek solo artist and lead vocalist of Verbal Delirium, Jargon, I personally think you can add rock royalty Queen to that list!

I’ve long been a fan of this unique musical project, their amazing musicianship has touched areas of symphonic prog, progressive metal, hard rock and many others but this new album is truly the pinnacle of their work so far. It is pompous, ebullient and in your face at times but with a nod and a wink, and not a little humour, at times. Powerful vocals, soaring guitar lines and a monstrous rhythm section all contribute to a magical melting pot of musical brilliance.

There are no weak tracks on the album, opener King of the Country flies along at a breakneck pace with Pat Sander’s excellent keyboards leading the way. It’s when Jargon’s fine, distinctive vocals begin that I begin to feel we are being treated to something special here. In association with Pat’s keys, he gives me an impression of that great Queen track, Don’t Stop Me Now, but done with Drifting Sun’s own inimitable style and it gets me smiling immediately!.

Insidious is a more introspective track with a melancholy vibe engendered by the brooding vocals and dynamic keyboards, a dramatic and powerful piece of music. That melancholy feeling carries over into the melodramatic, theatrical inventiveness of Dementium, a pair of songs that take symphonic prog and elevate it to another level. New Dawn is a heartfelt, emotive track with a sincere vocal and Pat’s elegant piano giving an almost forlorn feel to the song, the emotion and passion are bared for all to hear, especially on the superb guitar solo.

Now things get really interesting with the two part title track. At over twenty five minutes in total, Forsaken Innocence Parts I & II is epic in every way and is some of the best music I have heard this year. A group of musicians at the height of their game and playing in perfect harmony, when that happens then music simply becomes a joy to listen to, every note resonating with you on a personal level. I suggest just sitting back and letting these impressive pieces of music just wash over you and marvel at the brilliance on show.

Time to Go is the final track on the album (not including the bonus track*) and brings things to a close with a clarity and calmness that just leaves you in a better place.

(*Bonus track Hand on Heart is a brief, but compelling, footnote to the album, authoritative vocals and energetic music delivering a short, sharp and effectual hit of Drifting Sun’s addictive music.)

‘Forsaken Innocence’ sees Drifting Sun step out of the shadows and cement their place at the top table of progressive acts in the UK. It’s an engaging, captivating and sensational listen every time you press play and is deservedly up there fighting for the honours of album of the year.

Released 27th October, 2021.

Order from bandcamp here:

Forsaken Innocence | Drifting Sun (bandcamp.com)

Review – Fractal Mirror – Beyond Borders – by John Wenlock-Smith

This album is the fifth, and latest one, from the internet based & curated band, Fractal Mirror, which is comprised of  a couple of Dutch and US members, amongst others including British local Boy Gareth Cole on guitars. Brett Kull of Echolyn acts as both a backing vocalist and as a creative muse or foil to the members to the band, perhaps to stimulate and enhance their creativity?

The album also marks a return to the longer tracks in which their progressive leanings can be unleashed fully, an element perhaps missing from their last two albums. Well, this release rectifies that issue conclusively as this allows for two of the album’s six songs to come in at well over the ten-minute mark and it really works on this record. Ashes is over seventeen minutes long and Borders runs out at just under thirteen, both songs benefitting from this extended running time as they have chance to expand well, allowing various themes and sections to emerge that are embellished and reworked during the running of the track.

There are also some exceptionally fine musical segments to these songs, especially in the guitar lines of Gareth Cole and in the mellotron of Leo Koperdraat, which really adds to the mood of the piece. I find the track to be very evocative and with its fabulous guitar lines from Gareth Cole, to be something a bit special sounding really. Even the shorter songs do not lose the progressive elements entirely. This is especially the case on Shadow Man which twists wonderfully with a very serpentine guitar line that threads through the final sections of the track.

The album opens with the brief Instrumental, Beyond, as is often the way in prog albums. It starts with swathes of keyboard sounds and textures, also there are some graceful acoustic guitar lines at play and then, latterly, some smooth electric guitar. It is all very pleasant and sets the album up perfectly for what is to come.

Ashes, the first of the two epics, is one to really get yourself immersed in as, over its duration, you will be taken on a voyage of sorts. Lots of ominous sounds and effects and a strident tone emerge and, again, it is very pleasing to the ear. All the while the sound is underpinned by the sounds of the rhythm section and also the electric guitar of Gareth Cole The vocals commence and work well, they are certainly strong enough on this song which also has some nifty bass runs from Ed, Leo’s Mellotron showing itself to be in fine fettle here too. This song talks of ‘ashes all around me’, and I suppose the song is about a relationship and about making it right. Relationships can be hard going at times and, as I’m sure we all know and agree, the key is commitment and communication, both of which will give a stable footing to build upon.

The lyrics go on to speak of another day wishing you weren’t here, another day of living in fear so I guess there might be an element of abuse within this relationship. Very sad words really and, overall the song has a melancholy feel and its subject matter is dark but, the music is very strong, the final solo from Gareth being suitably epic in both tone and nature, in all, a really good track.

Kingdom Of the Lost is another shorter piece but one with great vocal harmonies. This piece sounds very much like a song of loss and, as such, it has traces of  slight melancholia at certain points. In contrast, it also has subtle slide guitar lines woven through its grooves, which work to create fine effect and impact.

Borders concludes the album in a lengthy workout, during which there are several great instrumental passages that unfold gracefully, as does the song itself. This track calls for holding the border one last time but what this really means is not clear. Even so, this sentiment is clearly expressed at various points in the track and with some power presence and influence.

When you add all this together what emerges is another fine album from this band for whom bigger things, audiences and shows must surely beckon and, with the power of Bad Elephant Music behind them, their future certainly looks very promising indeed. So hop on over to their bandcamp page to find this fabulous modern prog album and see what you think.

Released October 15th, 2021.

Order from bandcamp here:

Beyond Borders | Fractal Mirror (bandcamp.com)

Review – The Bardic Depths – The Bardic Depths by John Wenlock-Smith

The Bardic Depths is an all new progressive rock project formed from the writing team of multi-instrumentalist, Dave Bandana with lyrics and concept from Bradley Birzer. The self titled debut album releases in March 2020 and features performances from Peter Jones – Saxophone/ Vocals (Camel/ Tiger Moth Tales), Tim Gehrt – Drums ( Streets/ Steve Walsh), Gareth Cole – Guitar (Tom Slatter/ Fractal Mirror) and Robin Armstrong (Cosmograf) amongst a host of other amazing musicians from the progressive rock community.

To say that this is an unusual album is nothing odd, but such is the way of modern music making in that this one stands out for being very different, especially when you consider that this collective has never actually met in full or in person, as yet. In fact, up to a few weeks ago Dave and Brad had not even spoken by phone, skype or similar, this despite them having collaborated on two of Dave’s previous albums.

This group or project came to be because all involved are “Passengers”, the collective noun used by fans of the group Big Big Train for their Facebook group forum. When Lanzarote / Canary Island based musician Dave Bandanna put out a message looking for some musicians to help him with a new project, The Bardic Depths came into being, albeit it through the virtual world of file swapping and editing..

Dave, whose normally work entails entertaining holidaymakers by providing music in the evening at various holiday resort and hotels (he also feeds the islands large stock of feral cats) was inundated with great responses. These came from the likes of Gareth Cole, Peter Jones and Professor Bradley Birzer of Hillsdale College, Michigan among others, with Robin Armstrong (Cosmograf) acting as a producer. This album is certainly different because of all these factors.

The album itself is a celebration of the friendship between C.S Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien, both of whom were members of the Oxford University literary group The Inklings, where they would meet to talk about their writing projects and read to each other.

This album explores that friendship across its seven lengthy tracks.  The music wears its influences openly with a touch of Pink Floyd and snatches of latter-day Talk Talk’s prog sensibilities, to name just a couple. All are very lovingly collated together to create a highly impressive, moody and emotionally moving musical collage of ideas, influences and performances that, when taken together, merge to create a series of epic pieces reflecting on friendship through the storms of one’s life.

I know I say this about many of the albums I review, but I feel this really is a remarkable project and one that will be viewed very positively come the end of year listings. Well I certainly think that will be the case here, I know it will be for me. Once again this album will need some time for its treasures to become fully apparent for it is only with increasing familiarity that this will become clear. There is so much great music here for your ears to embrace and enjoy that this journey you take will be a most worthwhile and revealing one for you to both start and to appreciate.

Opener piece, The Trenches, refers to the first world war experiences that both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien endured and it is very evocative. Greek literary characters are used to ask the questions about the decisions made, and what the impact of those choices had, on the average man in the trenches. Biting Coals, speaks of the writing group and how, as war survivors, they meet and discuss and talk things over. This song has a lot of atmosphere that is utilised to great effect creating both a safe and cosy environment for the conversation.     

Depths of Time is the first real epic, clocking in at 12:33 which gives this three-part piece lots of room for some very extensive instrumental sections. These include some fine, airy sax from Peter Jones amidst some fabulous rhythmic guitar playing from Gareth Cole. The music here is rather ethereal sounding in tone with lots of space surrounding it to give an open effect and a chilled and relaxed tone, all very impressive really. The next piece is Depths of Imagination which opens with spoken word from Brad Birzer and a strong pulsating bass line from Dave Bandanna along with some great keyboards from Paulo Limoli that offset Dave’s vocal delivery.

Depths of Soul follows, opening with some fiery lead guitar from Gareth and more spoken word from Brad. It’s all very evocative sounding and moves onwards fiercely, fuelled by the drums of Tim Gehrt drums and Dave’s fine bass playing once again. The End is another atmospheric piece that contains some great cello from Mike Warren, a fine piano melody from Paulo Limoli and some lovely flute from Dave. This song has a great melody which suits its gentle tone, the music has passion and depth and sounds exceptionally fine indeed. It is all very musical and tuneful with great melodies that really suit the tone of the songs.

The final song, Legacies, opens with bells and a powerful drumbeat. This piece is about what this friendship leaves in its wake and why it made a difference then and still does for us today. How these men lived, what they believed in and lived for still matters for us today and that is the legacy they left us.

What we live for is important, the final spoken words draw the circle to a close with the words and a truly epic guitar solo opened Gareth and finished by Robin. It is simply sensational and a stunning close to what has been an enjoyable album. One of the best of the year so far and one that you really need to hear for yourself.        

Released 20/3/2020

Order from bandcamp here:

https://thebardicdepths.bandcamp.com/releases

Prog ‘Supergroup’ Shits n’ Giggles release Christmas Charity EP ‘Wake Up’

It’s that time of the year where Christmas Songs come flying at you from left, right and centre. Prog Rock collective Shits n’ Giggles have announced the release of their charity Christmas E.P. ‘Wake Up’ which will be online for purchase this evening.

Here’s the press release:

“With Christmas fast approaching, a bunch of us have teamed up to concoct a festive song entitled ‘Wake Up’ which was released as part of an EP on December 1st. Wake Up features Colin Tench (Corvus Stone), Gareth Cole (Mike Kershaw, Tom Slatter), Ben Bell (Patchwork Cacophony, Gandalf’s Fist), Stefan Hepe (Gandalf’s Fist), Peter Falconer, Pat Sanders and Manu Michael (Drifting Sun). The song was mixed and mastered by Jon Huxtable at Smallfish Studios, Scotland. Also included in the EP are 7 songs previously recorded by the musicians who contributed to the making of ‘Wake Up’.

All the profits from the sales will go to TIERHILFE SAUERLAND E. V. Barbara Hellekes, CEO of the animal welfare organisation said “We’re over the moon about this! Winter is coming, and it’s really hard to get the poor souls through the winter, especially in Hungary and Greece, where we support and help privately organised shelters in keeping the streets free of stray dogs, trying to find them a forever home”

We, Shits ‘n Giggles, take this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken up their valuable time to bring their contribution to this EP to help make this release possible, and we hope that the charity organization we have chosen will benefit greatly from the generosity of the people who donate to their cause, cheers everyone and Merry Christmas to all!”

The EP is available to purchase from:

Purchase the ‘Wake Up’ Charity EP here

 

 

Review – Mike Kershaw – What Lies Beneath – by Gary Morley

Cover

Mike Kershaw is a “Passenger”, or fan of Big Big Train, and we’ve met (in cyberspace) and our lives have been connected through their Facebook page.

I was invited to review this, Mike’s latest solo recording, by Martin Hutchinson, another Passenger whose life is a little more connected to mine in that we have had conversations: Exchanges of ideas and the like, in between him sending me albums to review and me handing in my homework.

So I transferred the files onto CD, placed it in the player and after sharpening my reviewer’s pencil, pressed play.

The following are the notes written as I listen, a running commentary if you will.

The first impression is that the drum sound is warm, jazzy and gentler than other recent Prog albums. There are none of the extraneous fills and beat s that detracted from Dream Theater’s recent excursion into Lloyd Webber land here.

I will research later, but the instrumentation on this is warm, organic and very “English”.

Mike’s voice is not a musical weapon of mass destruction, not chilling roars or over enunciated shouting here. The nearest comparable voice I can think of is Marianne Faithfull. His voice falters and cracks as hers does on “Broken English”, both frail and resilient at the same time. It adds to the charm of the piece as the voice makes the words even more personal and the deliver almost intimate, a rough take charm that grows as the album progresses.

Scott Smith Photography

(Picture by Scott Smith Photography)

The album hints at the great journey we are all on, unfolding and layered with detail that adds to the repeated listening pleasure. Track 2 starts off with a drum track that brought Dire Straits to mind, that simple shuffle beat underpinning the mix. Keyboards float above it, Mike’s voice is higher, almost childlike here. It’s always tricky to write about lyrics without the aid of a “cheat sheet” album cover present, so I tend to leave that to the end user (and the writing on CD inserts is not “People of a certain age friendly at all! That’s why we collect vinyl – to read the notes!)

There are chiming guitars; beautiful bass playing that had me thinking of the Cure at their most pastoral on track 3. The melodic force is strong in this one, the song growing, tide like before the chorus crashes on the shore, then fades and ebbs with lovely electric piano . We have a military drum beat and a ghostly choral backing that fades to voice and rhythm section.

Mr Kershaw, you are a very talented man. Songs that unfurl gently and reveal secrets, your folk singer delivery brings another point of reference here, The spirit of Roy Harper seeps through the 4th track, with it’s guitar textures and space between the component parts allowing the voice centre stage.

“Another disguise” is full of lovely slide guitar and swooping keyboards, this track is very Pink Floyd in it’s sound, warm guitar and icy keyboards over a solid drum part , again no pyrotechnics from  the players, the ebb and flow is complimentary to the lyric.

Or does it bring back memories of  The Enid circa 1981 that ? That period when RJG discovered vocals? There are hints of that too, along with a smatter of Dylan, Track 5 being a bouncy charmer, full of gruff guitar charm and a timeless vocal performance.

Mike

(Picture by Scott Smith Photography)

Track 6 starts with a gentle keyboard piece then we hear of the protagonist, who seems beaten by life, a frustrated individual trapped in some private hell. Kershaw’s words of rallying around a flag, joining a cause, whether wrong or right spookily poignant after recent events in Yorkshire that shocked one and all, here we have the plight of the loner , the isolated man captured in a 3 minute song.

I’ve played the CD 4 times now, each time it releases another little Easter Egg …

This time, Mike’s Voice on track 1 reminds me of Tim Blake (Hawkwind and solo artist) performing “Lighthouse” – half spoken, half intoned lyrics set to a jaunty, almost funky soundscape with keyboards coming at you from all directions. Lyrically it’s not a million miles from the anti war rhetoric of Hawkwind / Tim Blake /The Enid from the 80’s ( we were all going to die in a mushroom cloud caused by Reagan and Russia goes to war over Europe with tactical Nukes proliferating on both sides. Scary times, but produced some great music – “Who’s Gonna Win The War” & “ And Then there were none” being the two that this shares a common bond with.

This is the “Proggiest” track here, with some great synth lines at the conclusion sliding over your ears into your brain.

The more I listen, the less convinced that it’s Prog. Not in a derogatory way, but this album is full of songs, some great musicians playing to complement each other, most tracks are around the 5 minute mark, there are no dragons, anthropomorphic creatures, aliens or starships. No warriors on the edge or any vast inhuman machines keeping people in ignorance and servitude.

There are some glorious tunes, great instrumental pieces and a sense of warmth, almost organic well being generated through the listening experience.

It’s just good music, no matter which box you think it should be put in.

Mike has produced a fine album, a personal statement of where he sits in the musical pantheon and the world is a better place for his efforts.

Released 27th May 2016 by Bad Elephant Music.

Buy ‘What Lies Beneath’ from bandcamp