Who wouldn’t love the sound of Billy Reeves! He possesses an immaculate, educated English voice. And, of course, there’s a great brain and soul behind that voice.
Enjoy Podcast 67.
The TesseracT Special
We speak to guitarist James Monteith about what makes this new album (their first for Kscope, Polaris) different from the predecessors.
Plus: how to vote for Steven Wilson in the Classic Rock magazine awards, and details of a new album from Norweigan art-rock masters, the mighty Gazpacho.
In this podcast (all from Polaris): Dystopia Hexes (collaboration with Martin Grech) Survival Seven Names
The blu-ray version of HAND.CANNOT.ERASE. Perfect sound, disappointing but sturdy packaging.
I’ve always been an audiophile (rather snobbishly), but I’ve also never quite understood the technology behind good audio. Thank the good Lord for friends such as Craig Breaden, Kevin McCormick, and Carl Olson who have so patiently explained the details to me. If I understood what they so kindly told me, I only did so for a moment or two. My fault, not theirs!
I do, however, very well know what I like and what I don’t like.
A few albums have rather happily blown my ears away over the years. I can think of many, but a few stand out rather dramatically. The production on 90125, Songs from the Big Chair, Skylarking, Afraid of Sunlight, Space Revolver, Night, The Underfall Yard, Fog Electric, and Le Sacre du Travail never in anyway become boring or tiresome. There’s always something new to discover in the production of each. And, each listen reveals a new aspect of beauty in the art.
And, the same is true of every single thing Steven Wilson has released, whether with Porcupine Tree or solo. For what it’s worth, I think Rob Aubrey and Steven Wilson are the two most important engineers and mixers of our day.
The only thing better than Wilson on CD? Wilson on blu-ray. Having fallen rather in love with Wilson’s fourth studio album, HAND.CANNOT.ERASE., I decided to order the blu-ray. Holy schnikees, am I glad I did. I’d write something cliché such as “music to my ears,” but that would be cheesy. Still. . . .
The good. The sound is nothing short of amazing with the blu-ray. Even though I can’t quite understand the technology as to why this is so much better (though, of course, there’s gobs more data on the blu-ray), it is. The sound is perfectly crisp. This is especially important given how precise every note is—written as well as played—on Hand.Cannot.Erase. The opening track echoes the sound of three well-known Canadian proggers. This is Rush done with no English reserve! Just pure imitation in the most flattering sense.
The album, of course, has been reviewed and reviewed—including by two progarchists. So, I won’t rehash what’s been said and written. I’ll only note, that I love this album almost as much as GRACE FOR DROWNING—my favorite album from Wilson and one of my top 25 albums of all time.
The good, part two. Extra tracks and bonus features. The blu-ray includes a number of additional tracks, though these are generally variations on the original album. Still, quite enticing. It’s interesting to listen to the instrumental version of the album as I have a hard time not hearing Wilson’s distinctive vocals and profoundly moving lyrics.
The good, part three. As always, the documentary that accompanies the album is equal parts enlightening and weird.
The thing just ripped/popped upon pulling out the CD booklet. Come on, KScope, you’re so much better than this.
The bad. The only bad thing is the HAND.CANNOT.ERASE. booklet. The booklet that comes with the CD is far superior to the one that comes with the blu-ray. The blu-ray booklet only has about half of the photos the CD booklet has. Considering that the blu-ray booklet is quite a bit larger per page, this is just bizarre. Indeed, while the CD booklet feels lovingly crafted, the blu-ray booklet feels a bit like something Costco might produce. Good, but middling. I really love what Kscope produces in terms of musical quality, but the company never seems to have gotten its packaging down to an art or a science. I’m quite gentle and protective of everything I purchase for my music collection, but my Kscope CD packaging ripped open when I lovingly removed the booklet to read. It wasn’t as much a rip as it was a pop that turned into a huge and ugly rip. As OCD as I am, this is quite unsettling. And, unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve had this happen with Kscope releases. As often as not, the digibooks booklets—held by only staples—fall out all too frequently with Kscope products. I hope they work on this. Those of us who are willing to pay large sums of money for physical products want the physical products we deserve.
If you’ve not purchased the album yet, I highly recommend getting the blu-ray. Though the printed material that comes with it isn’t up to the perfection of the music, it is sturdier than what you’ll get with the CD packaging. And, the sound of the blu-ray outweighs any objection or deficiency.
Thank you, Mr. Wilson. I continue to learn from you, your art, and your excellence.
KSCOPE PRESENTS: ANATHEMA’S “A SORT OF HOMECOMING,” A CONCERT FILM BY LASSE HOILE FROM ANATHEMA’S LIVERPOOL CATHEDRAL SHOW
“A Sort of Homecoming” to be released on Blu-ray, 2CD + DVD-V, LP and digital download on October 30
ENGLAND – Anathema, one of the U.K.’s most cherished and critically acclaimed rock bands, will release a live Blu-ray/audio collection entitled A Sort of Homecoming on October 30 via Kscope. Directed by Lasse Hoile (Steven Wilson, Katatonia, Opeth), A Sort of Homecoming is a stunning concert film of Anathema’s homecoming show on March 7, 2015 in the spectacular setting of the Liverpool Cathedral. The concert was described by Prog Magazine as “a once in a lifetime experience that words can barely do justice.”
“I’m really happy that this night in particular has been preserved,” commented Anathema guitarist/vocalist, Vincent Cavanagh. “As anyone from Liverpool will tell you, to be given the chance to play the Anglican Cathedral is monumental and a huge honor. The place is absolutely huge. Just look at the cover, it was like doing a gig in Erebor!”
Having previously worked with Anathema on the acclaimed Universal concert film, Lasse Hoile captured the 100 minute acoustic set in high definition against the sensational backdrop of Liverpool Cathedral. Featuring 15 songs selected from the albums Distant Satellites, Weather Systems, We’re Here Because We’re Here, A Natural Disaster and Alternative 4, the ‘Anathema Acoustic’ trio of Daniel Cavanagh, Vincent Cavanagh and Lee Douglas were joined by rhythm section John Douglas and Jamie Cavanagh, alongside their very talented close friend David Wesling on cello who also played on Hindsight (2009) and A Moment In Time (2006). For this exclusive performance the band was also joined by the renowned violinist, Anna Phoebe, on a haunting rendition of “Anathema.” The audio has been produced and mixed by Christer-André Cederberg who worked on Distant Satellites, Universal and Weather Systems, with the cover and booklet artwork featuring the stunning photography from the show and behind the scenes by long time collaborator Caroline Traitler. This is the first Anathema live release to feature a 5.1 audio mix, engineered by Bruce Soord.
– 4 disc box set: 2 CD concert audio (100 mins), DVD with full concert plus an additional behind the scenes film “A Temporary Peace” and concert on Blu-ray disc. In a deluxe rigid media book with 36 page booklet, presented in a slipcase
– 2CD + DVD-V: The set features the full 100 minute audio and DVD-V of the concert with 5.1 audio mixed by The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord
– Blu-ray disc: The full 100 minute concert plus an additional behind the scenes film “A Temporary Peace” with 5.1 audio mixed by The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord
LP: A gatefold triple 180g black vinyl LP including MP3 download code
Digital: Concert audio only
All formats, excluding digital download, are available to pre-order via the Kscope web-store at: www.kscopemusic.com/store.
Anathema will continue to tour throughout the remainder of 2015. A full list of dates can be seen below.
1. The Lost Song Part 2
2. Untouchable Part 1
3. Untouchable Part 2
4. Thin Air
5. Dreaming Light
6. Anathema
7. Ariel
8. Electricity
9. Temporary Peace
10. The Beginning And The End
11. Distant Satellites
12. Take Shelter
13. Internal Landscapes
14. A Natural Disaster
15. Fragile Dreams
Forming in the mid-90s, Anathema has spent the vast majority of its career making music that defies description.With its star rising ever higher, Anathema returned in 2014 with Distant Satellites. The new studio album showcased another imperious forward step into the realm of miraculous song writing. It has proved to be the band’s most widely acclaimed and celebrated record reaching #32 in the U.K. charts with the likes of The Guardian (UK), Metal Hammer (UK /DE), Kerrang (UK), Classic Rock (UK/DE), Prog Magazine (UK), Aardschok (NL), Rock Hard (DE), Rolling Stone (Aus) heaping praise on the album.
Anathema has been at the forefront of the U.K. rock/metal movement since its inception, influencing a myriad of bands to follow. What began as a pioneering journey of melodic heavy music has outgrown all genres and limitations, fearlessly exploring new territory and new ways to express feeling through sound.
Stay tuned for more information on Anathema and A Sort of Homecoming, out this fall on Kscope.
-###-
Anathema live…
8/31 – Tokyo, Japan @ Liquid Room
9/01 – Tokyo, Japan @ Liquid Room
9/05 – Sao Paulo, Brazil @ Overload Music Festival
9/07 – Porto Alegre, Brazil @ Opiniao (w/ Paradise Lost)
9/08 – Rio, Brazil @ Circo Voador (w/ Paradise Lost)
9/11 – Atlanta, GA, USA @ Prog Power Festival
10/01 – Moscow, Russia @ Volta
10/02 – Minsk, Russia @ Re:Public
10/03 – St Petersburg, Russia @ Avrora
10/23 – Christchurch, NZ @ Dux Live
10/24 – Auckland, NZ @ Kings Arms
10/27 – Adelaide, AUS @ The Gov
10/29 – Brisbane, AUS @ Triffid
10/30 – Sydney, AUS @ Metro Theatre
10/31 – Melbourne, AUS @ Corner Hotel
11/01 – Perth, AUS @ Rosemount Hotel
11/04 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Cathedral
11/05 – Paris, France @ Église Saint-Eustache (acoustic)
Review of The Receiver, All Burn (Kscope, 2015). 11 tracks.
All Burn (Kscope, 2015).
Formed a decade ago, The Receiver is the brothers Cooper – vocals, synths/keyboards, bass. Each of the brothers handles vocals while Casey plays keyboards and bass and Jesse plays drums. ALL BURN is the band’s third album, the first with Kscope. The thing that strikes the listener immediately upon hearing the new album is the quality of the vocals and the vocal lines and melodies. They are gorgeous. Absolutely and completely gorgeous. So gorgeous in fact that one could drown in their beauty.
Kscope has labeled The Receiver as “symphonic dream-prog” and if they had to be compared to another Kscope band, they would come closest to Sam Healy’s always-stunning North Atlantic Oscillation. The Receiver resides on the pop end of Kscope’s offerings, they’re still far more pop than NAO. Indeed, the best comparison would be to Thomas Dolby’s first album or something from mid-period OMD. Though the production—for the most part—is 2015, the sound is very 1982.
[As a side note, I’ve often wondered what a Big Big Train or a Porcupine Tree would do with One of Our Submarines.]
A moment ago, I mentioned the vocals. Again, let me state: they are amazing, and these two brothers know how to sing together, and they especially know how to write vocal lines. They use their voices rather perfectly for the lyrics. In this way, they are far superior to Dolby or OMD.
If there’s a problem with the album, it’s the production of the bass and keyboards. The musicianship is excellent, but the end product sounds tinny. Frankly, I’m having a hard time gauging what’s exactly “not right” with them. I think it’s that the vocals are so good and so well done that the bass and drums sound a bit thin and superficial, as though they were added on merely to make this a pop album. It’s possible this is also due to the limitations of streaming the music—I’m listening to it streamed through an online promo on my MacBook Pro. So, not ideal listening conditions.
Back to the good. All Burn is pop in the best sense. There are lots and lots of catchy hooks and lots of returns and repeats to key sections in the music. Still, there’s enough mystery and variety in the music to make it not simply another pop outing. Songs such as “Dark Matter” have a Steven Wilson feel, and “April Blades” might have come from a Vangelis album. The music grows moodier and moodier as the album progresses. My favorite song, by far, is the penultimate track, “How to Be Young,” an existentialist pop navel gazer with lots of backwards production. The final song, “These Days,” is probably the poppiest, taking us back to an Alphaville moment.
Don’t let my criticisms hold you back. If you like good pop or pop prog, this album is for you. If you want to imagine what a “Golden Age of Wireless” would sound like in 2015, buy this. Or, if you simply love glorious vocals and vocalists, get this. I probably won’t come back to this album too often, but I am quite interested to see what they do next.
KATATONIA LAUNCHES “DAY” VIDEO CLIP FROM UPCOMING “SANCTITUDE” CONCERT FILM “Sanctitude” available on Blu-ray, CD+DVD, 2LP & digital download March 31 via Kscope
SWEDEN – Swedish master of melancholy, Katatonia, has launched a live video of the track “Day” from its upcoming concert film, Sanctitude, to be released in North America on March 31, 2015 (March 30 U.K. & RoW, April 3 Germany) via Kscope. The live video for “Day” is the first taste of what fans can expect from Sanctitude; it can be
Katatonia’s Anders Nystrom comments on the release: “Day… something you wake up to, or at least have to pull through, over and over. Most of them you forget about, but a couple you maybe look back upon and wish to relive again.
“Unfortunately in reality, I’m afraid that’s not possible, at least not until Apple buys NASA and releases a new version of their Time Capsule backup machine and send people into the cloud and back into history to fetch an older version of their lives, but luckily for us, there’s a current control of our music that doesn’t need time travel.
“We have always felt that if there’s a need, we’re entitled to the freedom to give our old songs a makeover in the now rather than the never. So, in the making of ‘Sanctitude’ there was one song in particular that meant a great deal to us. In fact, it was our first song ever to feature entirely clean vocals accompanied by clean guitars and it was written and released right in the peak of our death metal years.
“The song stood out, but isolated itself into oblivion in the climate of heavier music. Therefore we wanted this song to get a second chance, to be re-discovered. Even 20 years later when performing it live for the first time, it appears the parks are still grey and look the same…”
Sanctitude will be released in four formats:
Blu-ray DVD in 5.1 surround sound plus ‘Beyond The Chapel’ documentary including brand new interviews with Anders Nystrom & Jonas Renkse.
CD/DVD package – audio / visual set including ‘Beyond the Chapel’ documentary.
Double LP (incl. download code)
Digital download (audio)
Sanctitude can be pre-ordered in physical formats via the Kscope web-store at:
Sanctitude was filmed and recorded in the stunning, candle-lit setting of London’s Union Chapel during Katatonia’s May 2014 ‘Unplugged & Reworked’ tour – an intimate acoustic evening performing tracks from the Dethroned & Uncrowned album alongside atmospheric classics from the band’s entire career, stripped and reworked. The 80 minute set features 17 songs across the albums The Great Cold Distance, Viva Emptiness, Brave Murder Day, Last Fair Deal Gone Down, Dead End Kings and Dethroned & Uncrowned, including fan favorite, “Teargas.” The show closes with the sublime “The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here” and a special guest appearance by Norwegian vocalist Silje Wergeland of Dutch legend, The Gathering. The band was also joined on guitar and vocals by The Pineapple Thief frontman and songwriter, Bruce Soord.
All audio on Sanctitude has been mixed and mastered by Bruce Soord, with artwork once more supplied by long-time visual collaborator Travis Smith.
DISC 1:
1. In The White
2. Ambitions
3. Teargas
4. Gone
5. A Darkness Coming
6. One Year From Now
7. The Racing Heart
8. Tonight`s Music
9. Sleeper
10. Undo You
11. Lethean
12. Day
13. Idle Blood
14. Unfurl
15. Omerta
16. Evidence
17. The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here
DISC 2:
Concert Film (80 mins) Documentary `Beyond The Chapel` (66 mins)
Katatonia was formed in 1991 by Anders Nyström and Jonas Renkse. Its debut album, Dance of December Souls, was released in 1993, gaining the band recognition for its eclectic brand of gothic doom/death metal and joining acts such as Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride as one of the genre’s defining bands. On future albums, a newer, sleeker Katatonia sound came to the fore, starting with a streamlined and structured collection of melodic dark rock songs that became third album, Discouraged Ones, which is widely regarded as the main evolution point for modern day Katatonia.
In September 2013, Kscope released Dethroned & Uncrowned, a reworking of the band’s 2012 epic Dead End Kings (originally released on Kscope’s sister label Peaceville). Dethroned & Uncrowned allowed Katatonia the opportunity to explore a more progressive sound, creating new moods and textures while still staying truthful to the core of the original songs.
Stay tuned for more information on Katatonia and Sanctitude, out this month on Peaceville.
Ok, I was a bit hasty a few weeks ago in an initial review of the new Steven Wilson album. My actual, physical, honest-to-goodness copy of the CD arrived yesterday. And, what a thing of excellence it is. With apologies to Brian Watson, I must gush a bit. The “flow” is especially strong. Listening to the album is akin to watching the intricate and unpredictable patterns in nature–perhaps the cracks that develop on a frozen body of water. There is a hidden symmetry in its revelations. Indeed, this album shows a real maturity, a sort of combining of the best of the first and second solo albums. And, as always, Wilson is an audiophilic genius. This I’ve never questioned, and his talent manifests itself galore on this album. Ok, enough gushing. If you’ve not bought this album yet, do so! It’s probably even worth paying the $3.99 for expedited delivery.
GAVIN HARRISON RE-IMAGINES PORCUPINE TREE TRACKS ON UPCOMING SOLO ALBUM “CHEATING THE POLYGRAPH”
“Cheating the Polygraph” out April 14 on Kscope; teaser video posted online
ENGLAND – Gavin Harrison, drummer for British prog innovator, Porcupine Tree, has announced a brand new solo album of re-imagined songs from the acclaimed Porcupine Tree repertoire, Cheating the Polygraph, due out in North America on April 14 via Kscope (April 13 in the UK, April 17 in Germany, April 22 in Japan).
4. Heart Attack in a Lay-By (Creator had a Mastertape / Surfer)
5. Anaesthetize (The Pills I’m Taking)
6. Hatesong-Halo
7. Cheating the Polygraph (Mother & Child Divided)
8. Futile
Gavin Harrison currently finds himself working with British progressive rock group, King Crimson. His playing and performing résumé includes stints with artists as varied as Iggy Pop, Lewis Taylor, Manfred Mann and Kevin Ayers.
Cheating the Polygraph is an ambitious project which sees the restlessly creative Harrison re-imagine eight Porcupine Tree songs in a set of vivid and vibrant new arrangements that give full, free rein to his inquiring musical mind.
The tracks which comprise the album were recorded over a five-year period, with Harrison working in conjunction with a crew of some of the finest contemporary musicians, including the gifted saxophonist Nigel Hitchcock and bass player Laurence Cottle. It’s a set that will no doubt excite much controversy; Harrison’s use of the ‘Big Band’ musical sound stage isn’t some ersatz attempt to make a ‘Swing’ album; it’s closer in execution and arrangement to the innovative works of Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention – a layered, richly-textured selection that is both beautifully-recorded and incisively delivered.
“I think every album needs a focus – a master plan – and whilst I thought about writing new tunes for a big band project, I made a version of Porcupine Tree’s ‘Futile’ (with Laurence Cottle) and it came out really well,” commented Harrison. “It felt like a good plan to follow on with some of my personal favorite PT songs and see if we could make them work. I had a vision that the arrangements would never lean towards a clichéd classic big band sound, but always follow a modern contemporary angle. So even if you didn’t know the original tune, you could still enjoy it as a modern composition that would work with this instrumentation. I couldn’t be happier with the results. Laurence Cottle’s immense talent as a musician and arranger was mind blowing.”
No respecter of arbitrary musical pigeonholing, Harrison doesn’t so much ignore genre confines as smash right through them – Harrison states in his thoughtful liner notes: “It’s very important to me to push the boundaries of music whilst respecting what came before. In the arrangements of these pieces we really get ‘out there’ with some of the harmonies and rhythms, and we vastly extended the edges of the original compositions.”
Harrison also drops little musical depth bombs throughout by interpolating shards of melody and musical themes from other Porcupine Tree songs seamlessly into the musical patina of Cheating the Polygraph, which serve to underscore his frontiersman spirit; this is some of the most enthralling, engaging and challenging music you’ll hear in 2015, but there is also wit and charm in abundance here, too.
Stay tuned for more information on Gavin Harrison and Cheating the Polygraph, out this spring on Kscope.
STEVEN WILSON WEAVES CHILLING MUSICAL TALE WITH HAND. CANNOT. ERASE.
Album Available March 3, 2015 – North American Tour Begins May 21
(January 7, 2015) – Groundbreaking songwriter, four-time Grammy-nominated artist, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Steven Wilson, is set to release his fourth solo album,
Hand. Cannot. Erase. (Kscope) on March 3, 2015. Hand. Cannot. Erase. will be available at retailers nationwide and digitallywith a limited deluxe edition for pre-order via Kscope (http://bit.ly/1DhHN6c). Wilson and his band will embark on a tour through the UK and Europe in March and April 2015, then head to North America dedicating much of the summer beginning on May 21 in Albany – itinerary below.
This latest collection from the prolific song-writer is a dynamic 11-song conceptual set, bringing together diverse aspects of his expansive sonic history. Recorded in September 2014 at AIR Studios London, Hand. Cannot. Erase. features the guitar-driven power, infectious melodies, and progressive sensibility of Wilson’s sprawling body of work.
Wilson describes the collection as inspired by a news story, of a woman who died in her apartment and went undiscovered for three years. “The basic concept of the record – it’s about a woman growing up, who goes to live in the city, very isolated, and she disappears one day and no one notices. Now, your initial reaction when you hear a story like that is, ‘Ah, little old bag lady that no one notices; no one cares about.’ But she was young; she was popular; she was attractive; she had many friends; she had family, but for whatever reason, nobody missed her for three years.” The dramatic theme of Hand. Cannot. Erase. is punctuated with moments of rhythmic urgency, somber introspection, and soaring beauty. Fans are invited to follow the blog entries at http://Handcannoterase.com.
Tracklisting:
“First Regret”
“3 Years Older“
“Hand Cannot Erase”
“Perfect Life”
“Routine”
“Home Invasion”
“Regret #9”
“Transience”
“Ancestral”
“Happy Returns”
“Ascendant Here On…”
Best known as founder and front man of British rock act Porcupine Tree, Wilson has produced and collaborated with diverse acts as Opeth, Blackfield, Yes, Roxy Music, and XTC. His prolific engineering work can be heard on his mixes of classic releases from King Crimson, Jethro Tull, and most recently the 5.1 surround sound version of Tears For Fears’ classic Songs From The Big Chair reissue, released in November 2014. Porcupine Tree’s last album went top 30 in both the UK and USA, and the tour climaxed with sold out shows at Royal Albert Hall in London and Radio City Music Hall in New York.
Following the release of his critically acclaimed 2012 release, The Raven That Refused to Sing, Wilson set out on a world tour, having assembled a virtuoso band – Marco Minnemann (drums), Nick Beggs (bass), Theo Travis (flute and sax), Adam Holzman (keys) and Guthrie Govan (guitar). His latest studio creation completed, the cinematic Hand. Cannot. Erase.features dynamic performances by Wilson, his touring ensemble, and vocal accompaniment from Ninet Tayeb.
Review of Lunatic Soul, Walking on a Flashlight Beam (Kscope, 2014).
Birzer Rating: (6/10)
Let me begin by offering my Mariusz Dudas streetcred. I love Duda’s voice as well as his compositional skills. He possesses a profound sense of flow, allowing his music to move seamlessly from emotion to sentiment to feeling and back again. His voice is the kind that pulls one in, calling for full immersion. I’ve also always appreciated his lyricism, especially given that he’s not a native English speaker. He always seems to know the perfect lyric for the music and the perfect music for the lyric.
For a decade, I’ve been following his work. For a while, I thought I saw a continuity in all of his work: First Three Riverside Albums—Lunatic Soul—ADHD—Lunatic Soul. Lunatic Soul, beautiful and gorgeous in its own way, seemed the perfect interlude to accompany the drama of Riverside. For better or worse, this scheme has broken down almost completely now, especially after Shrine (Riverside) and Impressions (Lunatic Soul).
For any of you who have heard Riverside or Lunatic Soul (and I assume it’s all of you), you know have very captivating the music is. Walking on a Flashlight Beam is a reviewer’s purgatory. It’s quite good and well worth owning—a must for any fan of Riverside and Lunatic Soul—but it doesn’t captivate in the way that the first two Lunatic Soul albums did or the first four Riverside albums. Duda’s lyrics are as good as always—despite the weird pedestrian title of the album—as is his sense of flow. But, the flaw in this album is that it attempts to make the Lunatic Soul sound fresh by adding in a bizarre mixture of sound effects, many of which sound like old, recycled Depeche Mode noises from the early 80s. It’s not as extreme as, say, U2’s Pop, but it is leaning in that direction. So, a conundrum—all the things that make a Duda album here are great, but the attempt to experiment and innovate sounds false and clunky. Admittedly, Walking on a Flashlight Beam is sounding much less clunky after several listens.
Just to experiment, however, I played the first Lunatic Soul album immediately after listening to the new one. The first made my soul soar. This one made it want to soar, but it merely hovered.
Who wouldn’t love the sound of Billy Reeves! He possesses an immaculate, educated English voice. And, of course, there’s a great brain and soul behind that voice.
Progarchy 