Moon Letters offer what could be called standard classic progressive rock. It is guitar, drums, and synth heavy, and the vocals are harmonized in a quintessentially late 60s and early 70s fashion. Gentle Giant is certainly an influence, and “Thank You From the Future” definitely has that sense of playfulness in the music and vocal arrangements. I hear elements of the Moody Blues, Genesis, and maybe even a little Procol Harum as well.

One might be surprised to hear that the band hails from Seattle, as the music reminds me more of English classic prog than of American progressive rock. Thank You From the Future is the band’s second album, following up 2019’s Until They Feel the Sun.

The band has a science fiction and fantasy influence. I’m pretty sure the band’s name comes from the moon runes in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” and “The Hrossa” is a reference to the alien species that live on Mars in C.S. Lewis’ “Out of the Silent Planet.”

Dave Webb’s guitar has a slight Steve Hackett flair to it, especially in the sustained notes. That alone adds a Genesis influence, although Genesis isn’t the first comparison that came to my mind when listening to Moon Letters. But in listening closely to the guitar, Hackett is clearly an influence. Hackett is my favorite guitarist, so that’s a win in my book. The opening to “Yesterday Is Gone” is particularly delightful in its proggy sustained guitar. The sparse guitar notes and licks interspersed between the lyrics throughout the song really elevate the track.

Thank You From The Future is an upbeat entertaining nod to classic prog with modern sensibilities. The album does tend to sound a bit uniform in style, and a little variety would have been nice. But it’s a short album (by today’s prog standards, at least) at 42 minutes, which is a good length for this sort of record. The guitar work is what sets this record apart for me, as I’m sure it will for many of our readers. That’s worth the price of admission by itself.

https://www.moonletters.com
https://moonletters.bandcamp.com/album/thank-you-from-the-future
https://www.facebook.com/MoonLettersBand/