As well as the album's I've written about elsewhere, I've also managed to finish three books this month.
I've been a fan of Peter Robinson's DCI Banks novels (and his other work too) for a number of years, and I've recently finished the 23rd of the Banks series, When The Music's Over. Banks has recently received his promotion to Detective Superintendent, but he doesn't let that get too much in the way of investigating crime, though in this instance it's an old crime allegedly perpetrated by a TV celebrity. Running alongside is his colleague Annie Cabbot's chasing after an Asian grooming gang. (Where does he get his ideas from...?) The stories run very well in parallel, and eventually reach suitable conclusions, and the characterisations are as strong as ever. Always an entertaining read.
Rachel Abbot made her name over recent years as a self-published author on Amazon, and her 6 novels to date (that I have read - there are a couple of more recent ones that have still to reach the top of my pile...) have as their focus the Mancunian DCI Tom Douglas. The Sixth Window also deals with grooming and sexual exploitation, and works very well on a psychological rather than a police procedural level. It doesn't disappoint.
Most recently read was the third in a collection by the renowned novelist, Iain Banks. I read The Crow Road a few years ago, and was quite impressed, and when I found this collection of three of his other novels I thought I would give them a go. The Wasp Factory was his debut, and is quite weird, but engaging, touching on some interesting psychological issues. The Bridge is a strange story: essentially a dream by a man rendered unconscious by a motor accident, as he struggles to regain consciousness, it again touches on psychological themes. I didn't find this one as accessible as the first, but stuck with it, before taking a break. I returned to the anthology towards the end of last month for the third story, Espedair Street, which chronicles the disintegrating life of a one-time rock star, coming to terms with loneliness, loss and what might have been had he not had his 'big break' some 12 years ago. I must say that of the three stories I found this one the most engaging, and the most 'un-put-down-able'.
I am continuing to trudge through Vikram Seth's monumental 1,500 page tome 'A Suitable Boy', which is taking some doing, but which I hope to finish this month, but I may look elsewhere for some light relief as well...
Saturday, 2 February 2019
January's Music
We're already a month into 2019, so I thought I'd share something of what I've been listening to since the turn of the year. This broadly falls into 3 general areas: Christmas pressies; catch-up; and (can I come up with another 'c'?... no!) this year's music.
Christmas 2018 brought an interesting array of stuff, all of which was older material.
Camel's Rain Dances was a noticeable gap in my collection, and I love in particular the influence of Richard Sinclair on this album - I'm never sure at some points whether this is Camel or Caravan. As with much of the band's output, it grows with every listen.
I'd come across Pat Metheny many years ago on OGWT (possibly 1986), and on the strength of that had purchased his collaboration with Ornette Coleman, Song X, which I must say took some work (and still does). I persisted, however, and purchased a few more of his albums, adding Imaginary Day this time, which is more along the lines of what had drawn me to Metheny in the first place. An excellent collection of great fusion music.
I've been an admirer of Joni Mitchell for many years, but noticed a few gaps in my collection, mostly her more recent releases, and 'Santa' brought me a copy of her 2001 album Travelogue, which contains some quite sublime re-workings of some of her classic songs - at times better than the original versions! The package is further enhanced, as are most of her albums, with some of her stunning artwork too.
The final Christmas haul was a copy of an album that I'd owned digitally for a number of years, but now have a physical copy of: Montpellier by the Harrogate band Wally. Harrogate is my home town, and the music is a kind of prog/ blues/ country melange. Their first couple of albums came out in the 70s, but we had to wait until 2010 for number 3, and the wait was worth it, though perhaps not quite with the edge that their earlier releases had, which endeared them so much to the likes of Bob Harris & Rick Wakeman.
Christmas money was spent on a bit of catch-up. The two albums missing from my Joe Bonamassa collection - 2014's Different Shades of Blue, and last year's Redemption - both lived up to expectation with Joe's usual brand of hard-hitting blues. The one gap left in Joni Mitchell's catalogue was her last release, 2007's Shine, and that did not disappoint at all - an outstanding addition (end?) to her recorded output. Finally there was Vangelis's Albedo 0.39, an album I'd not heard since just after its release 43 years ago, and a fantastic example of early electronic music at its best.
Other Catch Up was stuff that was released towards the end of 2018 that I hadn't got around to checking out yet, but now have. And perhaps if I'd been a little more patient in drawing up my year-end lists, some of these may well have featured.
All Traps on Earth are a band with strong links to Scandinavian prog giants Anglagard, and this is evident in their debut album A Drop of Light, which captures the darkness and forboding of Anglagard in a captivating way in its five tracks, four of which are over 10 minutes in length.
Simon Godfrey seems to be a very busy man these days, since his relocation to the USA, and his latest digital-only release from Bad Elephant Music, the fourth of his Black Bag Archive collections of out-takes etc from his many bands, shows something of his variety, vitality and virtuosity. Material from his time with Tinyfish, as well as solo stuff, and out-takes from Valdez & Shineback give us an insight into his creative and at times crackpot mind. I must confess that I'm one of those deluded people who buy anything that BEM put out, but so far I've not been disappointed (see below), and it opens my mind, ears (and wallet) to some wonderfully diverse, eclectic and weird stuff.
Topos is the third offering from Methexis, a project of Nikitas Kissonas (formerly of Greek band Verbal Delirium), and is another wonderful instrumental work of two 20 minute pieces with a variety of light, shade and tempo.
Phaeton are a 4-piece instrumental prog metal collective from British Columbia, and I stumbled upon their eponymous debut by chance. Not my usual fare, this is a strangely attractive album, reminiscent at times of Riverside.
Another Swedish band that crossed my radar were the wonderfully-titled Sarcophagus Now, another eponymous debut instrumental album, but this time more grounded in the Scandinavian progressive school with some jazzy overtones.
Closer to home are Liverpool's The Swan Chorus, who have produced an album (another eponymous one) that really should be huge if there was any justice in the world. Fronted by John Wilkinson, who otherwise is the vocalist with Genesis tribute band Mama, there is a definite Genesis influence to the songs, but Genesis as I would have liked to have remembered them, rather than as they ended up.
Dean Watson produces a catchy and professional brand of instrumental progressive fusion that has so far delighted my ears. Track of Days, his fifth offering, is no exception: a 3 minute opener leads in to a 6-part, 51 minute magnum opus that entertains and enthrals in equal measure.
So, a lot of catching up: but what of this year's releases? Well, so far I've only got 3 to mention...
My first 2019 album was Guy Hatton's I Am Concentric. Guy is a multi-instrumentalist with historic connections to Andy Tillison (collaborating on the 1987 Gold Frankincense & Disk Drive album 'Where Do We Draw The Line'). Guy consistently produces some fine electric jazz fusion with a proggy edge, and this album continues that tradition, and in this he is ably assisted by Phil Meadows on saxophones and the aforementioned Mr Tillison on keyboards. A great collection of 5 epic-length tracks that are well worth checking out, which you can do here.
Steve Hackett released his latest album, At The Edge of Light, toward the middle of the month. At times quite hard rocking, at others quite mellow, and drawing on a number of influences including some strong world music ones, this album shows why, some 40 years after he parted company with Genesis, he is still a driving force in contemporary Progressive Rock music, and still has the licks as one of the genre's leading guitarists.
The first release from the Bad Elephant stable for this year is Lost Crowns' Every Night Something Happens. As I mentioned above the output of this label is 'diverse, eclectic & weird', and that could certainly describe this album, which has some strong links to Knifeworld and others on the more eccentric side of progressive music. This is certainly an album that takes time to develop, but persistence pays off.
So, that was January. February is already shaping up well, but more on that later...
Christmas 2018 brought an interesting array of stuff, all of which was older material.
Camel's Rain Dances was a noticeable gap in my collection, and I love in particular the influence of Richard Sinclair on this album - I'm never sure at some points whether this is Camel or Caravan. As with much of the band's output, it grows with every listen.
I'd come across Pat Metheny many years ago on OGWT (possibly 1986), and on the strength of that had purchased his collaboration with Ornette Coleman, Song X, which I must say took some work (and still does). I persisted, however, and purchased a few more of his albums, adding Imaginary Day this time, which is more along the lines of what had drawn me to Metheny in the first place. An excellent collection of great fusion music.
I've been an admirer of Joni Mitchell for many years, but noticed a few gaps in my collection, mostly her more recent releases, and 'Santa' brought me a copy of her 2001 album Travelogue, which contains some quite sublime re-workings of some of her classic songs - at times better than the original versions! The package is further enhanced, as are most of her albums, with some of her stunning artwork too.
The final Christmas haul was a copy of an album that I'd owned digitally for a number of years, but now have a physical copy of: Montpellier by the Harrogate band Wally. Harrogate is my home town, and the music is a kind of prog/ blues/ country melange. Their first couple of albums came out in the 70s, but we had to wait until 2010 for number 3, and the wait was worth it, though perhaps not quite with the edge that their earlier releases had, which endeared them so much to the likes of Bob Harris & Rick Wakeman.
Christmas money was spent on a bit of catch-up. The two albums missing from my Joe Bonamassa collection - 2014's Different Shades of Blue, and last year's Redemption - both lived up to expectation with Joe's usual brand of hard-hitting blues. The one gap left in Joni Mitchell's catalogue was her last release, 2007's Shine, and that did not disappoint at all - an outstanding addition (end?) to her recorded output. Finally there was Vangelis's Albedo 0.39, an album I'd not heard since just after its release 43 years ago, and a fantastic example of early electronic music at its best.
Other Catch Up was stuff that was released towards the end of 2018 that I hadn't got around to checking out yet, but now have. And perhaps if I'd been a little more patient in drawing up my year-end lists, some of these may well have featured.
All Traps on Earth are a band with strong links to Scandinavian prog giants Anglagard, and this is evident in their debut album A Drop of Light, which captures the darkness and forboding of Anglagard in a captivating way in its five tracks, four of which are over 10 minutes in length.
Simon Godfrey seems to be a very busy man these days, since his relocation to the USA, and his latest digital-only release from Bad Elephant Music, the fourth of his Black Bag Archive collections of out-takes etc from his many bands, shows something of his variety, vitality and virtuosity. Material from his time with Tinyfish, as well as solo stuff, and out-takes from Valdez & Shineback give us an insight into his creative and at times crackpot mind. I must confess that I'm one of those deluded people who buy anything that BEM put out, but so far I've not been disappointed (see below), and it opens my mind, ears (and wallet) to some wonderfully diverse, eclectic and weird stuff.
Topos is the third offering from Methexis, a project of Nikitas Kissonas (formerly of Greek band Verbal Delirium), and is another wonderful instrumental work of two 20 minute pieces with a variety of light, shade and tempo.
Phaeton are a 4-piece instrumental prog metal collective from British Columbia, and I stumbled upon their eponymous debut by chance. Not my usual fare, this is a strangely attractive album, reminiscent at times of Riverside.
Another Swedish band that crossed my radar were the wonderfully-titled Sarcophagus Now, another eponymous debut instrumental album, but this time more grounded in the Scandinavian progressive school with some jazzy overtones.
Closer to home are Liverpool's The Swan Chorus, who have produced an album (another eponymous one) that really should be huge if there was any justice in the world. Fronted by John Wilkinson, who otherwise is the vocalist with Genesis tribute band Mama, there is a definite Genesis influence to the songs, but Genesis as I would have liked to have remembered them, rather than as they ended up.
Dean Watson produces a catchy and professional brand of instrumental progressive fusion that has so far delighted my ears. Track of Days, his fifth offering, is no exception: a 3 minute opener leads in to a 6-part, 51 minute magnum opus that entertains and enthrals in equal measure.
So, a lot of catching up: but what of this year's releases? Well, so far I've only got 3 to mention...
My first 2019 album was Guy Hatton's I Am Concentric. Guy is a multi-instrumentalist with historic connections to Andy Tillison (collaborating on the 1987 Gold Frankincense & Disk Drive album 'Where Do We Draw The Line'). Guy consistently produces some fine electric jazz fusion with a proggy edge, and this album continues that tradition, and in this he is ably assisted by Phil Meadows on saxophones and the aforementioned Mr Tillison on keyboards. A great collection of 5 epic-length tracks that are well worth checking out, which you can do here.
Steve Hackett released his latest album, At The Edge of Light, toward the middle of the month. At times quite hard rocking, at others quite mellow, and drawing on a number of influences including some strong world music ones, this album shows why, some 40 years after he parted company with Genesis, he is still a driving force in contemporary Progressive Rock music, and still has the licks as one of the genre's leading guitarists.
The first release from the Bad Elephant stable for this year is Lost Crowns' Every Night Something Happens. As I mentioned above the output of this label is 'diverse, eclectic & weird', and that could certainly describe this album, which has some strong links to Knifeworld and others on the more eccentric side of progressive music. This is certainly an album that takes time to develop, but persistence pays off.
So, that was January. February is already shaping up well, but more on that later...
Tuesday, 18 December 2018
Music of 2018
I'm conscious that I've been a little quiet this year, but that doesn't mean I've been neglecting the finer things of life - among which I count music. Although my motivation for writing has been quite low, I've not been short of inspiration, and 2018 has proven to have been another great year for the music I love.
Gigs
Due to transport issues (not having a driving licence for the first part of the year) my gigging was somewhat restricted, but I still managed to get to a number of shows, mostly with the CRS. I began the year with the CRS Awards night in Wath, with This Winter Machine and Mostly Autumn providing wonderful entertainment. Other CRS gigs were Jump, John Hackett Band (joined by John's big brother, Steve), Lazuli and Southern Empire & Damanek, all of whom put on stellar performances. Elsewhere, I managed to get to Yes's 50th anniversary show in Sheffield City Hall, and just last week was back there at the brilliant Australian Pink Floyd. Closer to home, Neal Morse at the Musician in Leicester was a treat, as were the Norwegian band Soup, who sadly only attracted a select crowd for their excellent set. DanFest this year was superb - highlights for me were Comedy of Errors and I Am The Manic Whale, and Summer's End didn't fail to enchant with great bands and sparkling company! A first for me was my third festival of the year: a trip to Download (handy as it's on the doorstep) - more reflection here!
Live Albums
One of the things that I love about live recordings is their ability to transport one back to another time and place, and three of this year's live albums do just that for me. The other two on my list are not bands that I've seen live, but they are ones whose work I have admired for years and am so glad that their music is still being performed these days. My Top 5 for the year are (alphabetically):
Big Big Train - Merchants of Light
Brand X - Locked & Loaded
Steve Hackett - Wuthering Nights
John McLaughlin & Jimmy Herring - Live in San Francisco
Tangekanic - Hotel Cantaffordit
All these albums have some very poignant moments, but for the evocation of my feelings the first time Sanctuary in Music was performed at Summer's End last year, the top spot has to go (just) to Tangekanic!
Discoveries
I came across a number of acts for the first time this year, but the ones that stood out for me included the following:
John Holden & Mark Rowen: two excellent musicians & song-writers who have both pulled together a wonderful collection of talent to help get their music out there. Their albums, Capture Light & Radiance have been played a lot this year;
Oak, Malady, Electric Mud, Burntfield and the wonderfully titled Hats Off Gentlemen, It's Adequate have all delighted at the progressive end of things, as have Coast & Mildlife at the jazzier end, and my trip to Download introduced me to the wonderful bluesy metal of Greta van Fleet;
Nova Cascade have produced an album of ambient progressive music that is sensational, and I have delighted to discover the minimalist compositions of Steve Reich & Nils Frahm this year.
Jazz
I've found myself listening to a lot more jazz this year - not that it's been a stranger to me in previous years - and here are a few that have stood out for me over the past 12 months:
Coast - Coast An excellent debut from this Sydney four-piece
John Coltrane - Both Directions At Once The lost album from 1963, finally released in 2018
Dinosaur - Wonder Trail An excellent follow-up to Mercury 2017 nominee 'Together, As One'
The Hypersonic Factor - Inventions of Diffusion More progressive, but wonderfully jazzy too
Lydian Collective - Adventure A fantastically self-assured debut
Mildlife - Phase "cosmic jazz with a funky edge" from Melbourne
Ryan Porter - The Optimist A breathtaking long collection from this excellent trombonist
Bob Reynolds - Quartet Another stellar offering from a Snarky Puppy regular
Wayne Shorter - Emanon Fine orchestral jazz from the master
Soft Machine - Hidden Details Songs old and new from the latest incarnation of the band
Kamasi Washington - Heaven & Earth Storming soulful sounds
Chip Wickham - Shamal Wind A wonderful follow-up to last year's 'La Sombra'
And so, on to my top albums of the year... always a tough choice, and just as much so this year. Only 93 albums to choose from in my collection, but I've managed to whittle it down to 25, some of which I've mentioned already above. The first 20 I will list in alphabetical order, and then a Top 5. So, here goes...:
Big Big Train - Merchants of Light. A marvellous record of last year's gigs at Cadogan Hall in London, that sounds like a studio recording. Favourite track: Brave Captain
Bomber Goggles - Gyreland. A contemporary fable of life on a new island formed by discarded plastic in the ocean. Favourite track: March of Tides
Coast - Coast. See above. Favourite track: Blackline
Damanek - In Flight. A perfect combination of superb song writing and excellent musicianship fronted by the peerless Guy Manning. Favourite track: Ragusa
Judy Dyble - Earth is Sleeping. Poignant and at times emotive songs, and a voice that still enchants. Favourite track: Faded Elvis
Rikard Sjoblom's Gungfly - Friendship. Another assured collection from the BBT and former Beardfish multi-instrumentalist. Favourite track: If you fall Part 2
The Hypersonic Factor - Inventions of Diffusion. A wonderful instrumental collection that pushes the boundaries of Progressive music and jazz. Favourite track: The Pursuit
Kalman Filter - Exo-Oceans. A splendid assembly of evocative ambient electronica from Tangent mainstay Andy Tillison, designed to take you out of this world. Favourite track: Veltorn
Mike Kershaw - Arms Open Wide. The strongest album yet from Mike, tackling some powerful themes with his usual unique style. Favourite track: I Wish Your Eyes Were Mine
Lazuli - Saison 8. A band that never ceases to delight me, both on disc and on stage, this is yet again another brilliant offering, albeit one I can't fully understand! Favourite track: J'attends un Printemps
Lydian Collective - Adventure. A joyful, assured debut, full of life, light and great musicianship. Favourite track: Lydia's Dream
Laura Meade - Remedium. A soulful, folky, thoughtful collection of great songs and a great voice to go with them. Favourite track: Dragons
Nova Cascade - Above All Else. Ambient progressive music that is hard to categorise, and about which I have written elsewhere. Favourite track: Icarus
Perfect Beings - Vier. A third album called 'Four'! Four 'side long' tracks, all subdivided, all with a musical depth and complexity. Favourite track: Vibrational
Ryan Porter - The Optimist. Some of the best jazz around, and the best musicians to play it. Favourite track: The Psalmist
Riversea - The Tide. The long-awaited follow-up to 2012's Out of the Ancient World, Mark Atkinson & Brendan Eyre do not disappoint. Favourite track: Blasphemy
Mark Rowen - Radiance. Great songs, enhanced by the voice of Lisa Box who brings great depth and power to them. Favourite track: Feel Like Letting Go
Southern Empire - Civilisation. An outstanding sophomore offering from the Australian band that grew out of the ashes of Unitopia, and an excellent live act. Favourite track: Cries for the Lonely
Tangekanic - Hotel Cantaffordit. My Live album of the year, and a fabulous collection of tunes from two of the best bands around at the moment. Favourite track: Sanctuary in Music
Kamasi Washington - Heaven & Earth. 2016's The Epic was a hard act to follow, but Washington has done that with gusto in this powerful collection. Favourite track: Song For The Fallen
And so to my Top 5 for 2018...
5. John Holden - Capture Light. This is an album that has grown with every listen, with great storytelling, equally great musicianship, and a veritable feast of talent on display. Favourite track: Dreamcatching.
4. Gleb Kolyadin - Gleb Kolyadin. Gleb is one half of iamthemorning, a virtuoso musician who is just as much at home with the gentle progressive sounds as he is with the classics. This is a matchless collection of piano music that will enchant and entrance. Favourite track: Eidolon
3. John Hackett & Nick Fletcher - Beyond The Stars. In recent years John seems to have come out more fully from his brother's shadow, and has grown considerably as a Progressive musician in his own right, along with his regular band, of which Nick is a key part. This album allows both of them to fully flourish as musicians and songwriters, and Nick in particular shows such a breadth of skill and style in his playing. I count both men as friends, but even if I didn't this would still be an exceptional work. Favourite track: A Time In Place.
2. Oak - False Memory Archive. This Norwegian band took me completely by surprise with this release, but a pleasant surprise it was. Such assured music, with echoes of Riverside & Pink Floyd among others from the off, and a laid-back vibe that never fails to enthral and enchant: there is light a shade here, but neither in a flippant or maudlin manner. Just a stunning collection of finely crafted songs. Favourite track: We, The Drowned
1. The Tangent - Proxy. I've been a fan of The Tangent for a few years now, and I must confess that when I heard their latest album, Proxy, it took a while to really 'click' with me. Whilst recognisably a Tangent album, there is a distinctiveness about this record that sets it apart, and it was that, I think, that I struggled with to begin with. But given time and patience this album grew for me, and I grew towards it, and began to fully embrace its musical and lyrical brilliance. And now, here it is, my album of the year, and deservedly so. Favourite track: a tough call, but probably The Adulthood Lie
So there we are: another year over (almost), and another exceptional one for the music I love. Thank you for taking time to read this: what do you think of my choices? I know I've probably missed some important albums out, but there's only so much time in the year. I hope to be able to write more over the coming year, which may or may not be a good thing... Let's see what 2019 has to offer.
Gigs
Due to transport issues (not having a driving licence for the first part of the year) my gigging was somewhat restricted, but I still managed to get to a number of shows, mostly with the CRS. I began the year with the CRS Awards night in Wath, with This Winter Machine and Mostly Autumn providing wonderful entertainment. Other CRS gigs were Jump, John Hackett Band (joined by John's big brother, Steve), Lazuli and Southern Empire & Damanek, all of whom put on stellar performances. Elsewhere, I managed to get to Yes's 50th anniversary show in Sheffield City Hall, and just last week was back there at the brilliant Australian Pink Floyd. Closer to home, Neal Morse at the Musician in Leicester was a treat, as were the Norwegian band Soup, who sadly only attracted a select crowd for their excellent set. DanFest this year was superb - highlights for me were Comedy of Errors and I Am The Manic Whale, and Summer's End didn't fail to enchant with great bands and sparkling company! A first for me was my third festival of the year: a trip to Download (handy as it's on the doorstep) - more reflection here!
Gig of the year? Probably (just) Lazuli @ Summer's End.
Live Albums
One of the things that I love about live recordings is their ability to transport one back to another time and place, and three of this year's live albums do just that for me. The other two on my list are not bands that I've seen live, but they are ones whose work I have admired for years and am so glad that their music is still being performed these days. My Top 5 for the year are (alphabetically):
Big Big Train - Merchants of Light
Brand X - Locked & Loaded
Steve Hackett - Wuthering Nights
John McLaughlin & Jimmy Herring - Live in San Francisco
Tangekanic - Hotel Cantaffordit
All these albums have some very poignant moments, but for the evocation of my feelings the first time Sanctuary in Music was performed at Summer's End last year, the top spot has to go (just) to Tangekanic!
Discoveries
I came across a number of acts for the first time this year, but the ones that stood out for me included the following:
John Holden & Mark Rowen: two excellent musicians & song-writers who have both pulled together a wonderful collection of talent to help get their music out there. Their albums, Capture Light & Radiance have been played a lot this year;
Oak, Malady, Electric Mud, Burntfield and the wonderfully titled Hats Off Gentlemen, It's Adequate have all delighted at the progressive end of things, as have Coast & Mildlife at the jazzier end, and my trip to Download introduced me to the wonderful bluesy metal of Greta van Fleet;
Nova Cascade have produced an album of ambient progressive music that is sensational, and I have delighted to discover the minimalist compositions of Steve Reich & Nils Frahm this year.
Jazz
I've found myself listening to a lot more jazz this year - not that it's been a stranger to me in previous years - and here are a few that have stood out for me over the past 12 months:
Coast - Coast An excellent debut from this Sydney four-piece
John Coltrane - Both Directions At Once The lost album from 1963, finally released in 2018
Dinosaur - Wonder Trail An excellent follow-up to Mercury 2017 nominee 'Together, As One'
The Hypersonic Factor - Inventions of Diffusion More progressive, but wonderfully jazzy too
Lydian Collective - Adventure A fantastically self-assured debut
Mildlife - Phase "cosmic jazz with a funky edge" from Melbourne
Ryan Porter - The Optimist A breathtaking long collection from this excellent trombonist
Bob Reynolds - Quartet Another stellar offering from a Snarky Puppy regular
Wayne Shorter - Emanon Fine orchestral jazz from the master
Soft Machine - Hidden Details Songs old and new from the latest incarnation of the band
Kamasi Washington - Heaven & Earth Storming soulful sounds
Chip Wickham - Shamal Wind A wonderful follow-up to last year's 'La Sombra'
And so, on to my top albums of the year... always a tough choice, and just as much so this year. Only 93 albums to choose from in my collection, but I've managed to whittle it down to 25, some of which I've mentioned already above. The first 20 I will list in alphabetical order, and then a Top 5. So, here goes...:
Big Big Train - Merchants of Light. A marvellous record of last year's gigs at Cadogan Hall in London, that sounds like a studio recording. Favourite track: Brave Captain
Bomber Goggles - Gyreland. A contemporary fable of life on a new island formed by discarded plastic in the ocean. Favourite track: March of Tides
Coast - Coast. See above. Favourite track: Blackline
Damanek - In Flight. A perfect combination of superb song writing and excellent musicianship fronted by the peerless Guy Manning. Favourite track: Ragusa
Judy Dyble - Earth is Sleeping. Poignant and at times emotive songs, and a voice that still enchants. Favourite track: Faded Elvis
Rikard Sjoblom's Gungfly - Friendship. Another assured collection from the BBT and former Beardfish multi-instrumentalist. Favourite track: If you fall Part 2
The Hypersonic Factor - Inventions of Diffusion. A wonderful instrumental collection that pushes the boundaries of Progressive music and jazz. Favourite track: The Pursuit
Kalman Filter - Exo-Oceans. A splendid assembly of evocative ambient electronica from Tangent mainstay Andy Tillison, designed to take you out of this world. Favourite track: Veltorn
Mike Kershaw - Arms Open Wide. The strongest album yet from Mike, tackling some powerful themes with his usual unique style. Favourite track: I Wish Your Eyes Were Mine
Lazuli - Saison 8. A band that never ceases to delight me, both on disc and on stage, this is yet again another brilliant offering, albeit one I can't fully understand! Favourite track: J'attends un Printemps
Lydian Collective - Adventure. A joyful, assured debut, full of life, light and great musicianship. Favourite track: Lydia's Dream
Laura Meade - Remedium. A soulful, folky, thoughtful collection of great songs and a great voice to go with them. Favourite track: Dragons
Nova Cascade - Above All Else. Ambient progressive music that is hard to categorise, and about which I have written elsewhere. Favourite track: Icarus
Perfect Beings - Vier. A third album called 'Four'! Four 'side long' tracks, all subdivided, all with a musical depth and complexity. Favourite track: Vibrational
Ryan Porter - The Optimist. Some of the best jazz around, and the best musicians to play it. Favourite track: The Psalmist
Riversea - The Tide. The long-awaited follow-up to 2012's Out of the Ancient World, Mark Atkinson & Brendan Eyre do not disappoint. Favourite track: Blasphemy
Mark Rowen - Radiance. Great songs, enhanced by the voice of Lisa Box who brings great depth and power to them. Favourite track: Feel Like Letting Go
Southern Empire - Civilisation. An outstanding sophomore offering from the Australian band that grew out of the ashes of Unitopia, and an excellent live act. Favourite track: Cries for the Lonely
Tangekanic - Hotel Cantaffordit. My Live album of the year, and a fabulous collection of tunes from two of the best bands around at the moment. Favourite track: Sanctuary in Music
Kamasi Washington - Heaven & Earth. 2016's The Epic was a hard act to follow, but Washington has done that with gusto in this powerful collection. Favourite track: Song For The Fallen
And so to my Top 5 for 2018...
4. Gleb Kolyadin - Gleb Kolyadin. Gleb is one half of iamthemorning, a virtuoso musician who is just as much at home with the gentle progressive sounds as he is with the classics. This is a matchless collection of piano music that will enchant and entrance. Favourite track: Eidolon
3. John Hackett & Nick Fletcher - Beyond The Stars. In recent years John seems to have come out more fully from his brother's shadow, and has grown considerably as a Progressive musician in his own right, along with his regular band, of which Nick is a key part. This album allows both of them to fully flourish as musicians and songwriters, and Nick in particular shows such a breadth of skill and style in his playing. I count both men as friends, but even if I didn't this would still be an exceptional work. Favourite track: A Time In Place.
2. Oak - False Memory Archive. This Norwegian band took me completely by surprise with this release, but a pleasant surprise it was. Such assured music, with echoes of Riverside & Pink Floyd among others from the off, and a laid-back vibe that never fails to enthral and enchant: there is light a shade here, but neither in a flippant or maudlin manner. Just a stunning collection of finely crafted songs. Favourite track: We, The Drowned
1. The Tangent - Proxy. I've been a fan of The Tangent for a few years now, and I must confess that when I heard their latest album, Proxy, it took a while to really 'click' with me. Whilst recognisably a Tangent album, there is a distinctiveness about this record that sets it apart, and it was that, I think, that I struggled with to begin with. But given time and patience this album grew for me, and I grew towards it, and began to fully embrace its musical and lyrical brilliance. And now, here it is, my album of the year, and deservedly so. Favourite track: a tough call, but probably The Adulthood Lie
So there we are: another year over (almost), and another exceptional one for the music I love. Thank you for taking time to read this: what do you think of my choices? I know I've probably missed some important albums out, but there's only so much time in the year. I hope to be able to write more over the coming year, which may or may not be a good thing... Let's see what 2019 has to offer.
Saturday, 8 September 2018
Nova Cascade - Above All Else
I don't know about you, but when I'm looking for new music (which I must confess I do from time to time) one of the avenues that I explore is through the 'tags' on Bandcamp. My tastes are reasonably broad, though they tend to hover mainly in the areas of Jazz and Progressive Rock, but every now and then I stray into other areas, particularly that of ambient music. Much of this can, at times, be seen as nothing more than aural wallpaper, though there are occasional diversions from this analysis.
It was because of this interest in these somewhat diffuse musical styles that my curiosity was piqued by Nova Cascade, who tag themselves as both Progressive Rock and Ambient. The latter seemed to be to the fore, as the band has had 3 tracks that have topped the UK ambient chart, but on further listening their progressive credentials showed forth as well.
Above All Else is the band's debut album, and comes as a result of three of the band members meeting by chance in an on-line chat room, swapping files and eventually creating this collection of 37 minutes-worth of music spread over 12 tracks. It is, in the band's words, 'an unashamedly home-made album', and the sounds are 'retro, and proudly so! Not through any contrivance on our part, but because that is just in our DNA.'
The band are: Dave Hilborne - synths, lead & backing vocals; Dave Fick - bass and Alessio Proietti - guitars & backing vocals. They are joined by Charlie Bramald on flute and Heather Leslie on violin, and there is a special appearance by David Anania (Blue man group) on drums on the track 'Epiphany'. The music they produce is mostly instrumental, but 4 of the 12 tracks have lyrical content, of varying amounts.
The cover art (above) seems to be inspired by (or the inspiration for) the opening title track, which has a nice poetic quality to it, wanting the rapture of love to never end. The track opens with a ticking clock, which then reverses to give that sense of time standing still. Dave Hilborne's vocals are not prominent and are quite breath-y, which gives the song an ethereal quality. Continuum continues that dreamy theme with a gentle rhythm and guitars to the fore, but not overpowering in a mix of multi-layered instrumentation. Prophecy, the longest track on the album at just over 5 minutes, has a more brooding feel to it, with the bass a little more prominent. We Never Spoke is more up-beat with flute and piano vying with each other, before an almost metal feel, and a feeling of motion and hurry about it, which perhaps is fitting as we move into Hurtled. This has an almost industrial feel to begin with before Hilborne's vocals come in in their usual understated way. Lo-Fi is a soaring instrumental piece, that, like a number of the tracks on the album, seems to want to give more and go further - perhaps there's scope for developing some of the musical ideas in further releases. One Hundred & Fourteen is a quiet, meditative piece mainly on piano, with atmospheric keys in the background. Epiphany (as stated above) is the track with live drums on, which gives it a vibrant, energetic ambiance, albeit briefly, as the track only lasts just over 2 minutes. Imago is wistful and thoughtful, and then hopeful and emergent, perhaps relating to the sense of the last stage of metamorphosis that the title suggests. Swept Away has a strong driving beat to it - perhaps the least 'ambient' track in the collection - and some good bass work in the middle stages of the song. Icarus is, for me, the strongest tune musically of the set, and perhaps the most 'progressive' with hints of Tony Banks in it at times. The album ends with Wilted, a quiet piano-led piece that layers many sounds and has an almost mantra-like quality to it. Again there is a feeling of wanting more at the end, but also of tranquillity and peace.
This is an album that repays multiple listens, as each iteration brings more depth and interest from this simple yet complex suite. You can give it a listen here, and if enamoured even purchase a copy, which will encourage the band to create and develop more ideas. Above all else, do check it out!
It was because of this interest in these somewhat diffuse musical styles that my curiosity was piqued by Nova Cascade, who tag themselves as both Progressive Rock and Ambient. The latter seemed to be to the fore, as the band has had 3 tracks that have topped the UK ambient chart, but on further listening their progressive credentials showed forth as well.
Above All Else is the band's debut album, and comes as a result of three of the band members meeting by chance in an on-line chat room, swapping files and eventually creating this collection of 37 minutes-worth of music spread over 12 tracks. It is, in the band's words, 'an unashamedly home-made album', and the sounds are 'retro, and proudly so! Not through any contrivance on our part, but because that is just in our DNA.'
The band are: Dave Hilborne - synths, lead & backing vocals; Dave Fick - bass and Alessio Proietti - guitars & backing vocals. They are joined by Charlie Bramald on flute and Heather Leslie on violin, and there is a special appearance by David Anania (Blue man group) on drums on the track 'Epiphany'. The music they produce is mostly instrumental, but 4 of the 12 tracks have lyrical content, of varying amounts.
The cover art (above) seems to be inspired by (or the inspiration for) the opening title track, which has a nice poetic quality to it, wanting the rapture of love to never end. The track opens with a ticking clock, which then reverses to give that sense of time standing still. Dave Hilborne's vocals are not prominent and are quite breath-y, which gives the song an ethereal quality. Continuum continues that dreamy theme with a gentle rhythm and guitars to the fore, but not overpowering in a mix of multi-layered instrumentation. Prophecy, the longest track on the album at just over 5 minutes, has a more brooding feel to it, with the bass a little more prominent. We Never Spoke is more up-beat with flute and piano vying with each other, before an almost metal feel, and a feeling of motion and hurry about it, which perhaps is fitting as we move into Hurtled. This has an almost industrial feel to begin with before Hilborne's vocals come in in their usual understated way. Lo-Fi is a soaring instrumental piece, that, like a number of the tracks on the album, seems to want to give more and go further - perhaps there's scope for developing some of the musical ideas in further releases. One Hundred & Fourteen is a quiet, meditative piece mainly on piano, with atmospheric keys in the background. Epiphany (as stated above) is the track with live drums on, which gives it a vibrant, energetic ambiance, albeit briefly, as the track only lasts just over 2 minutes. Imago is wistful and thoughtful, and then hopeful and emergent, perhaps relating to the sense of the last stage of metamorphosis that the title suggests. Swept Away has a strong driving beat to it - perhaps the least 'ambient' track in the collection - and some good bass work in the middle stages of the song. Icarus is, for me, the strongest tune musically of the set, and perhaps the most 'progressive' with hints of Tony Banks in it at times. The album ends with Wilted, a quiet piano-led piece that layers many sounds and has an almost mantra-like quality to it. Again there is a feeling of wanting more at the end, but also of tranquillity and peace.
This is an album that repays multiple listens, as each iteration brings more depth and interest from this simple yet complex suite. You can give it a listen here, and if enamoured even purchase a copy, which will encourage the band to create and develop more ideas. Above all else, do check it out!
Thursday, 16 August 2018
Mike Kershaw - Arms Open Wide
Progressive music is a strange beast. The name seems to cover so much ground these days, from material that is obviously influenced by, and even seeks to ape, the music of the 1970s heyday of the genre, to more avant garde, experimental tunes. And one of the finest places to find this latter example of Progressive music over recent years has been the wonderfully eclectic Bad Elephant Music label, whose roster is 'progressive' in the widest sense of the term.
From the Bad Elephant 'stable' comes Mike Kershaw's new album, 'Arms Open Wide', his fifth LP - his second with BEM - along with 2 EPs previously released (all available through Bandcamp). One thing is clear from the start of this disc, and that is that this is 'progressive' in terms of Mike's canon: there is clear development of ideas and song structure here from previous releases.
Part of that development is that Mike is not alone on these songs: as he did on his last album, he has gathered a collection of musicians to play guitar, bass and drums, which gives a certain depth and completeness to the music that would be lacking without them. Each brings their own twist to the music, but this doesn't detract from Mike's trademark style, which permeates all the songs, even where Stu Nicholson is singing instead of Mike in places.
The first half of the album is 'The Fear Quartet', a four part suite of songs that takes up 22 minutes. By virtue of the subject matter, but also in keeping with Mike's style, there is a dark melancholy about much of the material, but not in a negative way. The musicianship throughout is spot on, and Gareth Cole's guitars in particular have a depth and maturity to them that lifts the music. That darkness continues throughout the collection, but there are occasional glimmers of something a little more optimistic and hopeful. I've commented before, I think, about a subtle spirituality in Mike's writing and this is evident here in places too. One stand-out example for me is the song 'I Wish Your Eyes Were Mine', in which Kershaw bemoans an inability to see the good that another cannot miss: "I see desperation on the lines of every face, but you, you see courage and a love that leaves no trace." Is it an adult looking at the innocence of a child, or a search for a more positive world-view in general?
The rest of the album is a kind of enigma, as the next tracks - 'A Promise', Keys To The Kingdom' & 'Dark Spaces' - all have an up-beat feel to them, yet also all have a feeling of menace and foreboding which almost feels at odds with that mood. The album closer 'Curtains', though, leaves us in no conflict: "We ring in every new year so we cannot hear the screams. Eyes open we approach the abyss that lies ahead: it's time to close the curtains now."
To be fair, perhaps with the exception of 'I wish...', this not an album to put on to cheer yourself up, (despite the up-beat nature of some of the songs) but music has many roles in life and this is a well-crafted collection of songs, both musically & lyrically, that address some of the darker areas of contemporary life with insight and creativity. Now that there is a band to play this music, maybe we'll see a live performance some time...?
From the Bad Elephant 'stable' comes Mike Kershaw's new album, 'Arms Open Wide', his fifth LP - his second with BEM - along with 2 EPs previously released (all available through Bandcamp). One thing is clear from the start of this disc, and that is that this is 'progressive' in terms of Mike's canon: there is clear development of ideas and song structure here from previous releases.
Part of that development is that Mike is not alone on these songs: as he did on his last album, he has gathered a collection of musicians to play guitar, bass and drums, which gives a certain depth and completeness to the music that would be lacking without them. Each brings their own twist to the music, but this doesn't detract from Mike's trademark style, which permeates all the songs, even where Stu Nicholson is singing instead of Mike in places.
The first half of the album is 'The Fear Quartet', a four part suite of songs that takes up 22 minutes. By virtue of the subject matter, but also in keeping with Mike's style, there is a dark melancholy about much of the material, but not in a negative way. The musicianship throughout is spot on, and Gareth Cole's guitars in particular have a depth and maturity to them that lifts the music. That darkness continues throughout the collection, but there are occasional glimmers of something a little more optimistic and hopeful. I've commented before, I think, about a subtle spirituality in Mike's writing and this is evident here in places too. One stand-out example for me is the song 'I Wish Your Eyes Were Mine', in which Kershaw bemoans an inability to see the good that another cannot miss: "I see desperation on the lines of every face, but you, you see courage and a love that leaves no trace." Is it an adult looking at the innocence of a child, or a search for a more positive world-view in general?
The rest of the album is a kind of enigma, as the next tracks - 'A Promise', Keys To The Kingdom' & 'Dark Spaces' - all have an up-beat feel to them, yet also all have a feeling of menace and foreboding which almost feels at odds with that mood. The album closer 'Curtains', though, leaves us in no conflict: "We ring in every new year so we cannot hear the screams. Eyes open we approach the abyss that lies ahead: it's time to close the curtains now."
To be fair, perhaps with the exception of 'I wish...', this not an album to put on to cheer yourself up, (despite the up-beat nature of some of the songs) but music has many roles in life and this is a well-crafted collection of songs, both musically & lyrically, that address some of the darker areas of contemporary life with insight and creativity. Now that there is a band to play this music, maybe we'll see a live performance some time...?
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