I think Coming Up to Consciousness (2024) is my favorite Pure Reason Revolution album since The Dark Third (2006).

People say that Pure Reason Revolution disappeared for a decade. But really, Jon Courtney was just continuing the explorations begun on Amor Vincit Omnia (2009) and Hammer and Anvil (2010). He did so, for example, with Bullet Height and the album No Atonement (2017).

In my view, Jon Courtney has always been up to something interesting. But with Eupnea (2020) and Above Cirrus (2022), he returned to working with Chloe Alper to put those lovely trademark PRR harmonies to work again on albums of deliberately more progressive (more than just electronic) rock.

I always liked Chloe’s ability to sound like Kate Bush whenever she sang a solo line. But the magic sound of PRR has forever been their combined male and female vocal sound. With Chloe replaced by Annicke Shireen on Coming Up to Consciousness (2024), the main question is whether or not the magic continues.

Happily, it does. The characteristic male-female vocal mysterium coniunctionis of PRR is unmistakably present throughout. Jon deploys his trademark solo snarl whenever it is most effective to do so. And when Annicke sings a solo line, she may not be Kate Bush, but she has a pleasing ethereal quality, like a chanting Tolkien elf.

Greg Jong joins in with Annicke and Jon to keep that beautiful PRR sound going strong throughout the album. I find their work as a vocal trio to be exactly what keeps me a rabidly enthusiastic PRR fan. It’s such a great sound, and I can’t find it anywhere else.

What is most impressive is that on Coming Up to Consciousness (2024) the whole album feels like it is animated by the dreamlike sound and vibe of their debut album, The Dark Third (2006).

I haven’t verified the feeling by listening again to the back catalogue. But for the purposes of this review, it is enough for me to communicate my undeniable impression and firm conviction. This album truly feels to me, when I listen to it, like The Dark Third (2006). And that means I am in heaven again.

Jon wrote, produced, and engineered all the tracks. But Greg joined him in those three tasks on “Betrayal,” “Bend the Earth,” and “Lifeless Creature.” Jon wrote all the lyrics. But Greg is a production wizard who leaves his mark everywhere. Also, Greg played slide guitar and harmonica on “The Gallows.”

Ravi Kesavaram of the PRR touring lineup delivers a stellar drum performance here as an official band member. The fantastic sonic experience delivered by the drumming is no small part of what made me feel like I was in The Dark Third territory again. And Ravi did the drum mixing and added his hand to the production as well. Very impressive.

Guy Pratt played bass and did the bass production, and it sure sounds good all throughout. “Betrayal” is a particular favorite of mine in that regard. So smooth, so good. But Jon Sykes played bass on one track: “Worship.”

Lewin Krumpschmid supplied additional Fender Rhodes work along with piano and Hammond organ finesse. I love how everything blends together in the sort of spacey atmospheric and unusual tonal experience that is the PRR sound.

Bruce Soord mixed everything. Steve Kitch mastered the album. So now we have PRR sounding extra special good. I’m sure Bruce’s work is no small reason why the dreamy vibe of this whole album has me ranking it in favor next to The Dark Third (2006).

Bruce also added guitars to the three tracks that were released in advance of the official album release day (September 6, 2024): “Dig Till You Die,” “Betrayal,” and “Useless Animal.” Bruce also added guitars to a fourth track: the insanely great “Worship.”

I’m guessing that the especially cool combination of Bruce’s contribution to PRR in this regard—namely, both production and guitars—helped the band to decide which three songs to share with the public first.

I confess that I needed the full album context, hearing all tracks together at once on the same day, to be properly floored by the album. There’s something about PRR that makes them truly an album makers’ and album lovers’ experience. Jon wisely recognizes that about 40 minutes is the perfect album length (as he agreed with me when I interviewed him for Progarchy), but even short songs are marked by a prog aesthetic. They change through many moods, shift tempos, and toss in electronic oddities and textures, all to surprise and delight. It’s like mini prog. Just perfect.

The electronic download before release day listed 14 tracks. The advance reviewers’ copy of the album (supplied to us by the record company in MP3s of quality so crappy that I refused to review them in advance) also had the 14-track division. I notice that many advance reviewers complained about the six transition songs of interludes and a prelude, which seemed too ridiculously short to merit reviewers’ comments or even their own independent existence as distinct tracks.

I can happily report that the CD release has only eight songs. The “Prelude: Coming Up to Consciousness” (0:32) has been assimilated into “Dig Till You Die” (now 5:08 instead of 4:36) as its beginning, and so on with all the interludes, which have been assimilated as the true beginnings of the songs that they had previously preceded. The exception is “Interlude 5” (0:38), which is added to the end of “Lifeless Creature” (now 6:48 instead of 6:10).

I wanted to mention these facts, because the version you own will differ, depending on whether you buy a download from Apple (14 tracks) or buy physical media (8 tracks). If you’re a true fan like me, you own both, in order to support the band to the maximum.

Speaking of support, I did order the CD from Amazon, but only so the precious cargo could arrive exactly on release day, to be held in hand as the treasure that it is. However, to financially support the band, I ordered the special rare track CD, In the Realms of the Divine, from their Web store, Glassville Music.

Despite paying a pretty penny, and despite paying extra for tracking so that I could conduct surveillance on the thrilling progress of the disc to my mailbox, absolutely nothing has shipped yet. How disappointing. I think more fans would order direct from the band, and not Amazon, if they could be assured that their merchandise would arrive on release day or, even better, in advance of an official release day.

But I don’t want to end on a sour note. What I’m really saying is that PRR fans love PRR, because PRR keeps on delivering the best music to us. Congratulations, folks, on the truly beautiful work you have given us on Coming Up to Consciousness (2024). Many happy returns. We love what you do.

Pure Reason Revolution, Coming Up to Consciousness (2024)

★★★★★ A+ 9/10