The 2020s: Favorite Canterbury Style Releases

 

HOMUNCULUS RES Ecco l'impero dei doppi sensi (2023)

My favorite band from Sicily is back with their fifth studio album since their 2013 debut. Though the official band membership has shrunk (to five), the number of guest contributors remains big. 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Dario D'Alessandro / vocals, rhythmic guitar, keyboards, glockenspiel, bass (1)
- Davide Di Giovanni / organ, piano, synth, bass (4)
- Mauro Turdo / lead guitar
- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums, percussion
- Daniele Crisci / bass
With:
- James Strain / oud (1)
- Massimo Giuntoli / keyboards (2)
- Giorgio Trombino / Alto sax, flute (2)
- Dominique D'Avanzo / vocals, flute, recorder, clarinet (4)
- Emanuele "Sterbus" Sterbini / vocals (4)
- Giuseppe Turdo / French & English horn, oboe, trumpet (4,7)
- Marco Monterosso / guitar (5)
- Alan Strawbridge / vocals (8)
- Giovanni Parmeggiani / moog, polysix, Fender rhodes (8)
- Andrea Cusumano / whistle (9)
- Dario Lo Cicero / panaulon, flute, bassoon, trombone, cristal baschet (9,10)
- Mila Di Addario / Tangent piano (9), Angelica glass harp (10)
- Federico Cardaci / arp odyssey, oberheim, digitone, memotron (10)
- Luciano Margorani / guitar (10)
- Enea Turdo / vocals (10)

1. "Il gran finale" (3:52) the music here retains the spry Canterbury feel and sound palette of the band's stupendous debut, Limiti all'eguauglianza della parte con il tutto, but the songs are more streamlined with longer working passages instead of the short and frequent time and thematic shifts; they're polished and mature, more listener-friendly, but not quite as quirky and fun as the former. (9/10)

2. "Quintessenza la la la" (6:06) a song that seems to parody music in all of the silliness of its seriousness--both the singing/lyrics and the music. Quite fun and funny! (8.875/10)

3. "Il bello e il cattivo tempo" (3:52) opens like a BEACH BOYS song from the 1960s. It's nicely melodic and flows very smoothly, but he music kind of drags as it is obvious that the lyrics are meant to be the focus. (8.75/10)

4. "Viaggio astrale di una polpetta" (5:17) this jazzier piece sounds very much like a MUFFINS/DAVE NEWHOUSE composition with some shifts into GRYPHON territory due to the recorders et al. until Emanuele Sterbini's vocals enter in the final third. Interesting! (8.75/10)

5. "Fine del mondo" (4:07) one of the more quirky, funny songs on the album--even the instrumental sound choices are often humorous/silly. (8.875/10)

6. "Pentagono" (5:23) a slowly hypnotic Math Rock kind of song evolves into something quite melodic as the vocalists sing and harmonize in the second minute. The upright piano sound used gives the song a bar- or school-room feel to it. A top three song for me. (9/10)

7. "Parole e numeri" (3:05) this slowed down number is unusually plodding but supremely melodic and engaging, simple but beautiful. Another top three song. (9.25/10)

8. "Cinque sensi" (4:00) very cool upbeat and cheerful song again of a simpler form and structure, it's just too charming to not love. Another top three song. (9.25/10)

9. "Fiume dell'Oblio" (4:15) a bit of the avant and Sgt. Pepper-like psychedelic mixed into the straightforward simple pop forms. Still, there is so much lovable quirk and uniquity here as to make my smile creases crack. And Andrea Cusumano is quite the whistler! My fourth top three song. (9/10)

10. "Doppi sensi" (10:04) As if Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello dropped in to help compose and produce a collage of great unconventional chord progressions and melodies while using a number of whimsical, ever-changing time signatures. Then, at 4:50 Robert Wyatt and John Lennon step in to direct, creating a dreamy musical playground in which even children can roam around and play. While I like both halves, the first is definitely more to my liking. (18/20)

Total Time: 50:01

While I like this album a lot--it has really grown on me--I still idolize that debut album more than any of the band's others. Here the music is often simpler, engaging the listener for longer stretches of time, but the band have done an excellent job of reclaiming the quirk and humor so naturally championed by that first album--something that has not always remained constant in their other three albums. 

89.77 on the Fishscale = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of wonderfully entertaining Canterbury Styled progressive rock music. 

MAGICK BROTHER & MYSTIC SISTER Magick Brother & Mystic Sister (2021)

Delightful retro psychedelic funk bordering on Egg, Khan, and Caravan Canterbury Style music from this Spanish quartet. Bassist Xavi Sandoval sets up some very nice grooves for listeners to get hooked into while Eva Muntada's Burt Bacharach- and Northettes-like vocals an Maya Fernández's flutes lend their ethereal magic as well.

Line-up / Musicians: 
Eva Muntada: piano, synthesizers, organ, mellotron & vocals
Xavi Sandoval: bass & guitars
Marc Tena: drums & vocals
Maya Fernández: flute

1. "Utopia" (4:56) opens like SOFT MACHINE's "Slightly All the Time" before going its own direction with Eva's lovely vocalise tracks and Maya's swallow-like flute. I'm in heaven! At 2:25 the song switches gears as it moves into CARAVAN territory to support some awesome synth and fuzz-organ work. The final minute sees us being carried off into the floating world of GONG guitars. Wow! What a trip into yesteryear! Amazing song! (9.5/10)

2. "Waterforms" (4:06) opens with a funkiness that could come from a 1970s Black Exploitation film! Isaac, Curtis, or Marvin! Amazing! Drive that Caddy with that Detroit lean! When Eva's voice penetrates my consciousness, my bubble is burst and I am back in Europe--though with a definite 1970s-feeling 21st Century West Coast Psychedelic Funk (a la BRIAN ELLIS and STARVING DAUGHTERS). (9.25/10)

3. "The First Light" (2:24) early PINK FLOYD psychedelia. A little too imitative. (4.25/5)

4. "Yogi Tea" (5:16) like a Burt Bacharach lounge funk psychedelia! Great keys, bass, and flute interplay with perfect jazzy drum support. I love Marc's voice--and vocal! He sounds like a god! (Or like KHAN's Nick Greenwood!) West Coast Psychedelic Funk at its finest! One of my favorite songs of the year! (9.5/10)

5. "Arroyo del búho" (4:49) almost a Ravel/Satie/or Gordon Brothers flute & piano duet. (8.75/10)

6. "Echoes From The Clouds" (4:07) another song that brings back so many flower power melodies of the late 60s and early 1970s--from Sergio Mendez's Brazil '66 to Caravan and "MacArthur's Park." Great flute and bass play. (9/10)

7. "Movement 2" (2:39) except for the flutes, this could be straight from a BRIAN ELLIS album! Awesome three-part James Bond/Austin Powers-like film soundtrack. Great presence from the congas. Excellent flute play. (5/5)

8. "Love Scene" (3:32) another perfect soundtrack imitation from late 1960s/early 1970s psychedelic filmdom. Awesome Hammond work, Eva! (9/10)

9. "Instructions For Judgment Visions" (4:33) hippy flute folkpsych with GONG-like narration. (Or is it Eric Burden's WAR's "Spill That Wine"?) (8.75/10)

10. "Les Vampires" (6:40) Burt Bacharach-Brian Auger collaboration for a soundtrack to a B-movie horror flick? (9.25/10)

Total Time 43:02

91.39 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of retro-psychedelic prog. So wonderful to hear this gorgeous funk!

AMOEBA SPLIT Quiet Euphoria  (2023)

Who is not excited for the release of another AMOEBA SPLIT album? The Galician (Spain) band's previous two albums--2010's Dance of the Goodbyes and 2016's Second Split--have been nothing short of masterpieces of Canterbury-inspired modern Jazz-Rock Fusion. And now, after a seven year gap, they release this, their third studio album. I am SUPER excited!

Line-up / Musicians:
- Alberto Villarroya López / bass, guitars, keyboards, compositions
- Ricardo Castro Varela / piano, electric piano, Hammond organ, arrangements
- Iago Mouriño / piano, electric piano, Moog, Hammond organ
- Fernando Lamas / drums & percussion
- Pablo Añón / tenor saxophone, alto clarinet
- Dubi Baamonde / soprano saxophone, flute
- Rubén Salvador / trumpet, flugelhorn
- Israel Arranz / vibraphone

1. "Quiet Euphoria" (7:18) what starts out a little bland (with slow lower register piano note play for the first minute) suddenly breaks into quite the jazz classic--with almost a big band feel, thanks to the horns. The bass, drums, and vibraphome really get a groove on over the second two-thirds of the song. I LOVE it! (And I love that vibraphonist Israel Arranz has not been promoted to a full band member.) The sound clarity given each and every one of the instruments is nothing short of astonishing. And I marvel as I listen to the unusual, "old" effected synths, bass, and keys. And thank you, THANK YOU, for recording the drums without that horrible gated effect! This is the way drums are supposed to sound! Even the kooky, laughter filled ending is both fitting and engaging. (14/15)

2. "Shaping Shadows" (5:20) Opening with a Japanese shamisen-sounding instrument, the song graduallly morphs into a very cool, gently relaxing vibe. Then, at 1:30, when the horn section joins in, the music takes on an almost like an old BURT BACHARACH lounge jam feel (if Burt, in fact, ever jammed, that is). I love the heavily-effected "old style" sound of the keys and guitars as the trumpet solos. And, me, such a sucker for the trumpet: I am in heaven! Great Latin drum stylin', too! Like our favorite comfort foods, this one just has a great feel to it. In the fourth minute I hear a little relaxed DAVE STEWART-like sound coming from the keys while the synth and drums go native. Then the PAUL DESMOND "Take Five" horns bring us back to center for the finish. Magical! (9.333/10)

3. "The Inner Driving Force" (5:59) Despite the horns above (which open the song soloing as if in a processional for some mediæval king), and the initial MILES DAVIS Sketches from Spain feel, I hear a kind of combined CHICK COREA-VINCE GUARALDI piano foundation to this song. Great interplay between the soloists in the fourth minute. (8.875/10)  

4. "Divide and Conquer" (3:02) opening with an odd high-pitched electric-horn-like synth squeaking, the drums and band enter with a very SOFT MACHINE-like sound palette. As the musical groove gets established I'm hearing things that remind me of early British band NUCLEUS, THOMAS DOLBY, and even HOMUNCULUS RES (the Casiotone soloing). Nice weave. Very cinematic. (9/10)

5. "Thrown to the Lions" (7:23) Very pleasant modern Canterbury sound and feel to this one--not unlike some of DAVE NEWHOUSE's recent songs, or even a little bit of old MILES DAVIS. That rolling bass play coupled with the Fender Rhodes keyboard is killer! Reminds me of 1970s DEODATO. When things settle into a more laid-back combo format in the fourth minute, they sound more like Devonshire band MAGIC BUS's releases of the 2010s. I love the flute play and then the band's dynamic interplay with the horns. Man! The bass and drums are so synched in! Cool flute and wah-ed Fender Rhodes interplay in the sixth minute! (Weird ending: as if the drummer got caught in the springs beneath his snare!) (14.25/15) 

6. "No Time for Lullabies" (11:05) The opening two minutes of this one sound almost like a piece of classical music.. Such poise and deliberation! Then, beneath the alto clarinet, the piano begins to roam and flourish a bit--signalling a move into the realms of jazz. Electric guitar and synthesizer noises are companioned by the drummer's play on his kit's tom-toms before tenor saxophone joins in as the lead instrument. Do I hear some Coltrane riffs at the end of the fifth minute? Vibes join in with more prominent bass play as drums add cymbal play and synths continue to add their subtle magic. Synthesized trumpet and flugelhorn play off one another over ominous pipe organ cords in the seventh and eighth minutes. This is nowhere near the kind of music I was expecting--though there is something here that seems to tap into not only both John Coltrane's and Miles Davis' end-of-life albums but also the spirit of those early SOFT MACHINE/ROBERT WYATT albums. 

    Just when I thought the song was winding down--with some lullaby-like percussion instrument playing alone, a gentle piano and flute duet starts back up and then takes us out with an eerie sonic "sound-check overload" type of synth sound. Weird! 

    Though this was not what I was expecting, I definitely love it; I find myself totally in awe of the unusual avenue of expression explored here. (19.5/20)

Total Time 40:07

I love the fact that the band has been able to keep the exact same lineup of members since their 2016 release, Second Split. It is, in fact, nothing short of amazing. Though the music here feels more rooted in old, classic styles of the lounge and early jazz-rock fusion jazz movements, I am impressed with the courageous use of odd synths and stylistic shifts within each of the songs. In fact, I am blown away by the subtle integration of old styles and sounds into these very original yet-familiar (and comforting) feeling compositions.  

93.697 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a full-blown masterpiece of original Jazz-Rock Fusion--one that feels as if it is paying homage to many of the key shakers and movers of the 1960s and 1970s jazz-rock fusion movement. 

ZOPP Dominion (2023)

Uber-talented multi-oinstrumentalist Ryan Stephenson is back after his very well received and highly acclaimed debut Canterbury-lite styled album of 2020. This one is a bit more sophisticated and imitative while drawing more distinctive styles into his purvey of musical vision (and execution).

Line-up / Musicians:
- Ryan W Stevenson / Hammond organ, Mellotron, Hohner Pianet, piano, electric pianos, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, vocals, Korg MS-20, synthesizers, percussion, flute, field recordings, sound design
- Andrea Moneta / drums & cymbals
With:
- Sally Minnear / voice (1)
- Caroline Joy Clarke / voice (1,2,7)
- Jørgen Munkeby / tenor saxophone & flute (7)
- Mike Benson / tenor saxophone (2)
- Rob Milne / tenor saxophone & flute (7)
- Tomás Figueiredo / French horn (1)
- Joe Burns / gong & additional cymbals (7)

1. "Amor Fati" (2:10) an exact and perfect duplication of the Hatfield & THE NORTH style for all those two-minute ear worms--even down to the quirky anti-rock construction, wordless vocals of two female vocalists (The Northettes 2.0!) and instrumental sounds. Brilliant! (5/5)

2. "You" (10:57) Vocals! Really fine, melodic ones, at that. It's as if Dave Stewart joined 10CC instead of Bruford. A great composition as well as a very engaging and enjoyable song. (19.5/20)

3. "Bushnell Keeler" (5:07) The sound is still based in the Canterbury familiarity, the composition is a bit more straightforward and simple (not unlike much of the music on Zopp's debut album). I like the addition/use of the thick wall of horns and flute to bring/carry the melody lines. But, like so many of Dave Newhouse's compositions of the past ten years, this one feels under-developed and kind of one-dimensional--like a bunch of instruments and their highly-specified sounds just trying to get to an end point; the music feels like it's merely a means to and end. (8.75/10)

4. "Uppmärksamhet" (3:14) a song that takes its sweet time in defining itself much less a direction. It's more like an exercise or étude in creating a mood--a feeling of waiting, of Limbo. (8.5/10)

5. "Reality Tunnels" (4:11) rock-driven Canterbury sounds that attempt to cross over into the Hugh Banton/Van Der Graaf Generator realm of heavy prog (complete with Hugh's famous Hammond riff from "The Sleepwalkers"). It's quite successful at adopting that VDGG sound yet somehow it falls short in capturing the menace and gloom that Peter Hammill & Co. delivered. I think this is due to the fact that the music continues to remain mired in a palette of instruments and chords that comes from Ryan's Canterbury allegiances; it's as if the two styles (VDGG gloom and happy-go-lucky Canterbury-ness) are in conflict with one another. This conflict never seems to resolve itself and, to me, feels unsettling and deceitful.  (8.75/10)

6. "Wetiko Approaching" (2:00) an interesting little dittie created out of a tonal étude--similar to the way Richard Sinclair and Dave Stewart used to work out interesting pieces from some of Dave's mathematical melodical explorations. (4.5/5) 

7. "Toxicity" (14:22) opens with a clear attempt to fit into Gentle Giant's shoes. Not bad except that Ryan's Trevor Horn voice is not near enough to that of Derek Shulman. Still, this is a skillfully conveyed prog song of worthiness to stand on its own if we just let go of comparisons to the old masters. I love the Phill Miller-like guitar in the fifth minute. The BUGGLES-like lyrics and singing are actually quite enjoyable (and, of course, nostalgic) if a bit incongruous with some of the music. In the end it feels like a direction that a band of prog artists like ASIA could have taken had they wanted to retain their prog mantle and not travel so desperately into the radio-friendly pop realms. It does feel nice to hear someone finally giving props to Trevor Horn/Buggles (and maybe a little to Andy Partridge) with their vocal performance. In my opinion, they are both artists who are definitely worthy of more adulation and imitation. 

All in all, this is actually quite an enjoyable romp through some very pleasant soundscapes. While I'm not sure this would qualify as an "epic", it is definitely an excellent adventure that Ryan has taken us on. (27.5/30) 

Total Time 42:01

Like countrymates ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS (who turned into SANGUINE HUM in 2010), I guess Ryan just wasn't content to stay in the Canterbury lane, he had to branch out into other forms and styles of progressive rock music--which is fine--especially considering the quality of the results! All fine melodic prog songs that continue to ring out nostalgic sound. The Dave Stewart keyboard sounds are all still here on this album, it's mainly some of the forms and flows that differ from the revered Canterbury styles of the 1970s. While I was not a fan of the simplistic "watered down" instrumental Canterbury-inspired music of Ryan's debut as Zopp, I am won over by this wonderfully mature and masterful collection of songs. 

91.667 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Canterbury-based nostalgic prog rock and an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection. If Ryan continues in the future to develop and explore as he has to make this album, I will become an avid follower/admirer. 

RASCAL REPORTERS The Strainge Case of Steve (2023)

I'm not sure why, but here we have the Two Steves minus one Steve (Gore), yet the music is as happy, quirky, humorous, shifty, melodic, and wonderfully-Canterbury as ever!

Line-up / Musicians:
- Steve Kretzmer / organ, electric piano, clavinet, piano, synthesizer, keyboards, choir, bass synth, programming, arpeggiators, sound effects
- James Strain / bass, drums, guitars, melodica, piano, organs, fake horns, synthesizer, electric piano, fretless bass, sitar, bass synth, keyboards, gangsa, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, programming, beats, samples, sound design
With:
- Dario D'Alessandro / guitar (1,11), synthesizer (3,9,11)
- Dave Newhouse / horns, woodwinds (1,9,11)

- Penelope Lovelace / vocals (8)
- Guy Segers / bass (11)
- Kimara Sajn / bass (11)
- Jessica Martin Maresco / vocals (12)

1. "Fat Delivered (4:59) As if Dave Newhouse and Dave Stewart melded their Canterbury style musics together with Phil Miller's guitar and, at the end, into the form of some traditional Celtic pop song. (8.875/10)

2. "A Race Against Time" (2:40) piano-based 1980s synthesizer-infused jazz with an old, classic jazz-pop melody line tying it all together. The sound palette is still very much like early HATFIELD AND THE NORTH. (4.5/5)

3. "Papa Norco" (4:57) a bit of a militaristic take on some French street music (because of the strong presence of accordion, no doubt) with a definite Dave Newhouse pace and feel to it. The backing synth sounds like The Northettes! (8.75/10)

4. "Beetle Borscht" (5:15) cool piano opening, soon joined by synth before drums and rhythm section jump in. Really nice, relaxed, melodic HOMUNCULUS RES-like tune. Great melodies and instrumental contributions throughout. A top three song for me. (9.75/10)

5. "Over and Out" (3:05) melodic ZAPPA, Moogy Klingman-and-Homunculus Res-like synth pop sound performing a rigorous sound and skill test. (9/10)

6. "The Odor at Tavistock" (4:33) very pleasant Canterbury Style jazz-pop-rock with many completely different motifs sown into one song with the same sudden twists and turns that Homunculus Res uses\d on their 2012 debut album, Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto. I love the percussion and bassoon-dominated second motif. One of the most proggy-sounding songs on the album. A top three song for me. (9.5/10)

7. "How Archontic the Ankle Biters" (8:21) with its dominant piano base and synth-funk sound in the rhythm section, this is the jazziest, most classically-influenced, and most dated sounding song on the album--even during the click and pop motif in the second minute. A clever, humorous song that could have been created or produced by fellow-Detroiter Don Was. (17.5/20)

8. "Lady and the Old Codger" (2:27) an ambivalently malevolent and, at the same time, humorous song that really gets your attention. Like a scene out of an Eminem movie. Powerful! (5/5)

9. "Unknowable" (5:14) synth-o-mania! Interesting, but sounds and feels rather dated and more like an étude than something intended for consumer/listener pleasure. (8.6667/10)

10. "Love Is a Dead Smelly Fish" (4:34) another song on the jazz-side of the musical spectrum--as if Homunculus Res went more toward French street music or straight jazz. (9/10)

11. "I Cries Crimes" (3:56) Fender Rhodes! And, according to the liner notes, a whole host of all-star guests! The rhythm tracks are much more seamless and laid back than many of the other songs. Another favorite. (9.25/10)

12. "Uh Oh (Lait Suspendu Fermenté)" (3:39) Singing! in French! By a female "NORTHETTES"-like choir (all Penelope Lovelace multitracked?)! Such a joyful song! My favorite song on the album! (10/10)

13. "Groom of the Stool" (3:32) lots of sound FX in the opening before a heavier early-DAVE STEWART-like piano chord progression opens up the minor-key song construct. It's like a soundtrack song from an European spy thriller. Interesting but nothing exceptional or ground-breaking. (8.75/10) 

14. "Lurking in Shadow Fury" (3:41) piano and accordion and, later, synthesizer trading turns in the lead over staccato stop-and-go jazz foundation. A little hurky-jerky for me, too reliant on an oft-repeated melody line. (8.66667/10)

15. "Guns for Clones" (7:43) one of the more serious-sounding songs on the album, it's quite like the early Canterbury instrumentalists (Hatfield, Gilgamesh, or even National Health). I like the constantly shifting  tempo and accordion work. (13.75/15)

16. "People Who Eat People" (8:53) again, there is an undefinable French street musicality to this music--and it's so carefree and happy-go-lucky--like a walk through several of the delightful neighborhoods in Paris' 2nd or 3rd Arrondissement coupled with the occasional encounter with the the Right Bank of the Seine or museum stroll through. (18.25/20)

Total Time 77:29

Being that this all-instrumental album is so long and completely saturated with the crazily complex twist-and-turn compositions, it is a very hard album to review with my usual play-by-play style. Suffice it to say that all 16 of the songs retain a wonderfully high standard of consistency in enjoyable, melodic, quirky-yet-engaging, each feeling fresh and creatively unique. After my first listen I had one clear favorite: "Uh Oh (Lait Suspendu Fermenté)"--for its French lyrics sung by a Northettes-like female choir (I'm a sucker for both female choral vocals-specially when delivered in the French language). But then, after three listens, I have been able to pick out a few other favorites ("Beetle Borscht," "The Odor at Tavistock," "I Cries Crimes," and "People Who Eat People")--and the rest of the album just keeps growing in my esteem.

90.98 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; an amazingly refreshing collection of mostly "future jazz" songs from these Cuneiform-supported music masters; music every prog lover should hear--and will probably love! (Especially if you love Canterbury Style music.) 

MANNA / MIRAGE Man Out of Time (2021)

A collection of Dave Newhouse songs that contain some of his most complex, well-developed ideas since he went solo. I love that there is so much going on within each song that I pick out entirely new and different things with each listening.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Newhouse / keyboards (1-6), woodwinds (1-3,5,6), voice (3), drums (4), yelling (4), electric piano (7,8), bass clarinet (7), saxophone (4)
- Sean Rickman / drums (1-3,5,6)
- Jerry King / bass (1,2,6), trumpet (5), trombone (1,5)
- Mark Stanley / guitar (1,5)
- Carla Diratz / vocals (2)
- Bret Hart / guitar (2)
- Dereck Higgins / bass (3)
- Rich O'Meara / vibes, marimba (3,8)
- Alanna Cohen Duvall / voice (3)
- Guy Segers / bass (5)
- Forrest Fang / violin (5)
- Gary Rouzer / cello (5)
- Fred Frith / guitar (6)

1. "What's the Big Idea?" (4:19) all musicians here seem to be traveling their own solo paths while somehow, amazingly, creating a wonderfully mature weave. (9.5/10)

2. "World Song" (3:49) great drumming beneath Carla Diratz' bluesy singing and the rest of the band's baseline weave. (8.5/10)

3. "In for a Penny" (4:34) great Canterbury slow groove (Fender Rhodes, horns, and bass) over which xylophone, flute, vocalise, and drums create some wonderfully melodic trails. (9/10)

4. "Red Ball Express" (2:56) one of Dave's more free-form, boundary-pushing, almost laughable, hot air balloon ride compositions that remains somehow tethered to the ground by the mellifluous winds. (4.25/5)

5. "4 Steps Back" (10:45) a very well conceived and realized Canterbury style jazz song with nice contributions from strings and Mark Stanley's electric guitar--and a most excellent contribution from drummer Sean Rickman. I love the Muffins-like eight and ninth minutes and then the pugillistic final two minutes. Great editing and mixing to get this one to sound so perfect. (18.75/20)

6. "Fred's Dream" (3:58) opens with a sound, styling, and pacing that is quite reminiscent of STEELY DAN or some other Gary Katz production (Rosie Vela or Love and Money). GREAT melodic and harmonic structure. (9.5/10)

7. "Silver Age" (4:00) opens like something from HAROLD BUDD and THE COCTEAU TWINS' The Moon and the Melodies 1986 album. Fun! (8.5/10)

8. "These Days" (2:32) beautiful, peaceful keyboard (Fender Rhodes) work over which Rich O'Meara splays his marimba work. (4.75/5)

Total Time 36:53

I am so grateful for Dave's detailed liner notes explaining the etiology of each song: they are so enjoyable to read. The Coronavirus pandemic definitely allowed Dave the time and room to fully and completely develop and rework his ideas into wonderfully complete feeling songs.

90.94 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars; a minor masterpiece of Canterbury style Jazz-Rock Fusion and one of my 10 favorite albums of 2021.

BILLIE BOTTLE'S TEMPLE OF SHIBBOLETH Billie Bottle's Temple of Shibboleth (2023)

From Devonshire, Billie has been making her presence felt since the late Naughties working with the likes of David Sinclair, Mike and Kate Westbrook as well as several versions of her own as a bandleader. Her affinity and allegiance for Canterbury Style music is without question yet she continually rides an edge that could fall into pop, jazz, indie, or even folk traditions.

Line-up / Musicians:
Billie Bottle: Voice, piano, synth bass, bass guitar, Hammond organ, organ, electric pianos, keyboards, mellotron, drum programming, programming, swanee whistle, vibraslap
Viv Goodwin-Darke: Flutes, voice, ‘cello, iron, crumhorn
Roz Harding: Alto sax, voice, treble recorder, kettle, wind chimes
Anna Batson: Bassoon, voice, crumhorn, hoover
Emma Holbrook: Drums, Cymbals, Percussion, pandeiro, voice
With:
Richard Sinclair: Guest bass guitar on "Ironing Days"
Martine Waltier: Voice
Rowan Porteous: Trumpets
Greg Hancock: Backwards voice
Hugh Nankivell: Viola
Geoff Bartholomew: Lyra-8 virtual synth
Geoff Bartholohowl, Otis & Vita Jarman-Pinto: Vocal howls
Amy Howard: Soprano sax
Ivo Stimpson: Backwards spoken word
Kimwei McCarthy: Penny whistle wolf
Lyndon Forster: Handpans
George Shilling: drum programming

Valborga: Bleat
Wyverne: Call
Lupinus: Howl
Shibboleth: Whinny

1. "In the Temple" (4:42) opens rather straightforward piano-support but then turns electro pop with drum and percussion machine giving Billie's voice and music a very ROSIE VELA-like sound and feel. (8.75/10)

2. "Cantus" (5:35) though the music here is quite pleasant, the lead vocal and its lyric feel a little too adult contemporary or even religious oriented. It reminds me of Heather Findlay's 2016 breakout MANTRA VEGA album, The Illusion's Reckoning. (8.75/10)

3. "The Wash" (5:06) a song containing and expressing far more Canterbury quirk, humor, and musical sound and inclinations than any of the preceding songs--reminding me of Kavus Torabi's work. Now this is more of what I was hoping for. I love the "Northettes"-like b vox and crumhorns. (8.875/10)

4. "Ironing Days" (5:19) an absolutely beautiful female vocalist (Perhaps Viv Goodwin-Darke?) steps into the lead over this EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL-like jazz-pop song. Everything about this gently flowing song washes over me, into me, feeds me and melts my soul into a state of blissful detachment. (9.75/10)

5. "The Melting" (0:31) piano, cymbals, horns and reeds, and toms basically warming up and/or detuning with one another.

6. "The Mending" (9:43) a brilliant suite of light, melodic jazzy themes. I love the soundscape, the aid-back yet technical proficiency of all of the instruments as well as the lead female vocals. (18.75/20)

7. "The Brewing" (1:44) a heady, breathy sax warm up for the next song.

8. "The Mead" (5:48) more highly melodic spacious music uniquely blending multiple musical styles. Such great music--stuff that could've very well come from the likes of GILLI SMYTH, ANNETTE PEACOCK, HANNAH MOULE, or JULIA HOLTER. (9.5/10)

9. "Black Swan" (5:16) a disco beat! A song that sounds a bit like something from STEELY DAN's Gaucho or ROSIE VELA's Zazu (both produced by Gary Katz)--though there are also TREVOR HORN and even SWING OUT SISTER elements as well. Quite melodic and earwormy despite also being quirky. (9.25/10)

10. "The Harvest" (0:35) all-female choral arrangement with piano accompaniment. (4.5/5)

11. "The Wolf" (6:58) full-on Canterbury both in instrumental sound choices as well as melody lines and odd, shifting time signatures used.  Really clever, fun lyrics as well. I love how the mood can remain light and even humorous even in the eerie section of little-girl-backwards-speak and crazed, dissonance. (13.5/15)

12. "The Rest" (7:28) this pretty straightforward lounge jazz song in which Billie returns to the odd "shibboleth" theme is my least favorite song on the album. (12.5/15)

Were it not for the rather inchoate "shibboleth" theme that Billie latched onto and expresses outwardly in the opening and closing songs, this would be a glowing collection of jazz-pop sometimes-Canterbury infused songs that I'd shout out as a masterpiece

90.54 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of creative, fun progressive rock music coming from a worshipper of Canterbury Style music and musicians. 

HOMUNCULUS RES Andiamo in giro di notte e ci consumiamo nel fuoco (2020)

My wife and I just sold our farm (happy/sad). We just returned from two days of cleaning out and driving to storage the family valuables (happy/sad). But then I opened up my computer after a couple days of absence to find that one of my favorite bands of the 21st Century had released its new album--on my mother's 85th birthday (happy/HAPPY). AUTO-BUY! I have to report that the band has (finally) returned to the (full) form of sophisticated Canterbury quirk of their 2011 debut. I am SO HAPPY to be listening to this beautiful yet happy music--especially in these COVID times. Thank you, Dario & company! And thank you to The Universe for releasing this album on my mother's 85 birthday! It will always make this album feel so special--like it was just for me.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Dario D'Alessandro / vocals (1-4,6-10), rhythm guitar (1-4,8,9), keyboards (1-6,8-10), glockenspiel (2,5)
- Davide Di Giovanni / piano, organ, synthesizer, guitar (7)
- Mauro Turdo / solo guitar (1-6,8-10)
- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums
- Daniele Crisci / bass (1-6,8,10)
With:
- Giorgio Trombino / alto saxophone (1,2)
- Petter Herbertsson / banjo, guitars, vibraphone, double bass (3)
- Giuseppe Turdo / oboe & French horn (4)
- Antonio Tralongo / viola (4)
- Emanuele Sterbini / vocals & guitar (5)
- Dominique D'Avanzo / vocals, flute, clarinet (5)
- Danilo Mancino / bass (7)
- Dario Lo Cicero / transverse flute, bass flute & bassoon (8,10)
- Patrick Dufour / electric piano (9)
- James Strain / bass (9)

Full, more detailed review in the days to come (as I will, no doubt, be listening to this album non-stop throughout the weekend). The PERFECT SUMMER ALBUM! If you want happy, melodic music to play on your days by the water, I could not think of a better one than this.

1. "Lucciole per Lanterne" (4.54) Canterbury and Homunculus Res perfection! (9.5/10)
2. "Il Carrozzone" (3:42) (9.75/10)3. "Buco Nero" (6:44) (8.75/10)
4. "Supermercato" (6:21) (8.75/10)
5. "La Spia" (4:36) (8.75/10)
6. "La Salamandra" (6:25) (9/10)
7. "In Girum" (3:37) sounds more like THE WINSTONS' debut album (and, therefore, MATCHING MOLE/Robert WYATT). (8.5/10)
8. "La Luccicanza" (4:27) (8.75/10)
9. "Tetraktys" (3:33) (8.75/10)
10. "Non Dire No" (3:45) opens as if a teacher/parent singing to (or for) children. When flute supplants vocal it becomes more rich and though still community feeling. Cool, different song. (9.5/10)


Total Time 47:59

The album starts out on a real high with the first two fast-paced joy-fests, but then then tempos settle into the middle inviting the listener to tune in more carefully to hear the clever and quirky nuances that the band throws in. 

90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music and such a refreshing addition to my (so far) rather weak 2020 collection.

P.S. How could ANYONE call this music anything but Canterbury???!!!! This is NOT a RPI band!

MANNA/MIRAGE Autobiographie (2023)

Dave Newhouse and his ever-growing, ever-impressive collective of collaborators is back with yet another installment of the Manna / Mirage offshoot of the old Avant-Canterbury band, The Muffins. 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Newhouse / keyboards, reeds, guitars (1,4), kalimba (2), accordion (3), harmonica (6), everything (4,7)
With:
- Sean Rickman / drums (1,2,5,6,8)
- Guy Segers / bass (1,6)
- Michael Zentner / electric violin (1)
- Jerry King / trombone (1-3), bass (2,3)
- Mark Stanley / guitar (2,6,8)
- Michael Bass / drums (3)
- Forrest Fang / violin (3)
- Rich O'Meara / marimba (6), mallets, bells, percussion (8)
- Dereck Higgins / bass (8)
- Luciano Margorani / guitar (9)

1. "Phantosmia" (6:30) very interesting for its unusual (for Dave) rhythm track. Saxophone and Michael Zentner's Eddie Jobson-like violin lead us through the first three minutes but then the horn section takes over in the foreground while individual instruments try to vie for attention from behind the wall of winds. In the fifth minute the band falls into the Rock Creek as Jannick Top-like single-pluck bass notes reverberate in order to keep the song moving above multiple reverse guitar tracks. Interesting. (8.75/10)

2. "Rounded by Sleep" (8:36) great steady mini-big band foundation that reminds me of Herbie Hancock's 1970s music in the late 1960s and early 1970s sits beneath some really awesome fuzz-saw guitar playing from Mark Stanley. At 4:00 Mark's play and the drums and bass cut out and we're left with a Phillip Glass-like tuned percussion weave within which trombone, woodwinds, and piano play a little bit. Then, at 6:20, a new kalimba, bass, and electric piano weave fades in and takes over. Lots of tuned percussion joins in and VERY cool three-part song! (18.75/20)

3. "Practicing Tonglin in a Time of War" (4:13) accordion and piano start up this European street song before drums, percussion, and bass join in. Second (or third?) accordion track doubles a violin to carry the melody for the first two minutes before a shift into a more Gypsy-klezmer-like weave incorporating horns and winds occurs. Now the violin and accordion are carrying one melody while the horns and winds carry a completely different one. At times it feels as if five or six separate melody lines are all woven together! (9/10)

4. "Section W" (4:56) a weave of stringed instruments: bass, guitar, percussed electric guitar, even banjo (dobro?) are all cycling within a steady repeating flow. Once established, radio tuning noises are strung into the mix giving it a Holger Czukay sound and feel. But then low flute (shakuhachi?) enters--on multiple tracks--providing a whole different feel and texture. (9/10)

5. "There Was a Time" (2:21) one of those classic beautiful piano-based chord progression songs that only Dave seems to be able to generate. Organ tracks, drums, keyboard bass, and some reeds provide most of the instrumentation for this little "soundtrack" ditty. (4.5/5)

6. "Close the Sky (5:52) a song of several parts, Guy Segers' heavily-treated bass and Mark Stanley's heavily-treated muted guitar play provide most of the foundational stuff for the first two minutes while reeds and harmonica provide entertainment on the sides, but then marimba takes the place of Mark's guitar for a minute, but then he returns for another solo--still playing off of Guy's interesting jazz bass. Then formally horn section step in to take the fore, providing their own tight melody as drummer Sean Rickman freestyles. (9/10)

7. "Instant Cloud Effect (3:18) opens with a descending chord progression of Fender Rhodes electric piano, bass, flutes, and clarinet, a pattern that is repeated with interludes of a second motif for the flutes and clarinet to do some flitting and flying off on their own. Nice. Peaceful. (8.875/10)

8. "Love Song for a Country" (5:30) slow and melancholy, this one feels as if the entire band are all on the same page--in the same mood--thus the song's overall feeling of uniformity--of the band's entrainment and indivisibility. It would've been interesting to hear this with Nick Prol's vocals. Nice avant garde guitar soloing from Mark Stanley in the last 90 seconds. Dave sure has a genius for great, nostalgic chord piano progressions. (9/10)

9. "Hope" (5:00) like Dave's swan song. I feel as if I'm listening to Dexter Gordon's playing from the film 'Round Midnight. (8.875/10)

Total Time 46:16

I swear, Dave's productions, compositions, and ideas just keep getting better and better with each successive album release. Beginning with 2015's wonderful surprise, Blue Dogs, through Rest of the Time, Face, and 2021's Man Out of Time (my favorite), the music has continued to evolve as it expresses and fulfills many of Dave's old ideas with new inspirations and inputs.

     I really love how Dave puts detailed descriptions of the songwriting, studio recording, and evolution of each song into his album's "liner notes." It's a fascinating insight into the inner workings of the artist and his process.

     I'd llike to add how much I enjoyed Sean Rickman's drumming; his is by far my favorite drumming on a Manna/Mirage album. 

90.26 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; another minor masterpiece of progressive jazz-rock fusion from one of the longest-running, hardest working masters of the Canterbury Scene, Dave "The Muffin Man" Newhouse. Highly recommended. With this album and his previous release, 2021's Man Out of Time, you have two delightful masterpieces of the sub-genre. 

ZOPP Zopp (2020)

Competent modern prog done in the Canterbury style most similar to Dave Newhouse's Manna/Mirage though I find Egg, Hatfield and the North, Supersister, and The Muffins also come to mind. Fine sound engineering and overall production for this sometimes simplistic and basic imitation of the best sounds of Dave Stewart, Robert Jan Stips, Phil Miller, Richard Sinclair, and others.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Ryan Stevenson / keyboards, Mellotron M4000D, Hammond organ, Arturia analogue synthesiser, Korg CX-3 organ, piano, Hohner Pianet T, bass, electric guitars, Nord Electro synth, voice, sound design, noises, field recordings, percussion
with:
- Andrea Moneta / drums, percussion, drum recording
- Andy Tillison / piano (6), Hammond organ (3), Leslie processing (2,5,6), co-production (3,6,9)
- Theo Travis / flute (6)
- Caroline Joy Clarke / voice (1,7,8)
- Mike Benson / tenor saxophone (9)

1. "Swedish Love" (1:32) pure and delightful Hatfield and the North . . . until the eerie/bizarre second half (4.5/5)

2. "Before The Light" (6:05) Eggish with some Supersister sprinkled in (8.75/10)

3. "Eternal Return" (5:06) I hear Supersister, Cos, The Muffins, and a little Khan in the first half of this one. The big pause in the middle brings forth a little Jean-Luc Ponty and Mike Oldfield feel! (8.25/10)

4. "Sanger" (3:20) sounds like The Muffins with Hugh Hopper's bass! (8.5/10)

5. "Sellanrå" (3:29) an interesting sound experimental starting with the organ start and some nature noises and then piano arpeggi and sparse echoing electric guitar notes and, later, faraway female vocalise. I actually really like this. (9.5/10)

6. "V" (6:37) using Andy Tillison as the time holder! Again, The Muffins and Manna/Mirage come to mind. Great bass and some really awesome Dave Newhouse-like melody lines. (8.75/10)

7. "Being And Time" (4:33) more regal and pretentious, like Black Sabbath or Deep Purple, but then turns into more melodic stuff á la Manna/Mirage. (8.67/10)

8. "Zero" (4:52) again, the individual layers of the tapestry are surprisingly simple, but the whole impresses as if some kind of Dave Stewart, Mike Rutledge, Dave Sinclair or even Alan Gowen composition--though, again, I hear Dave Newhouse melodies. (8.75/10)

9. "The Noble Shirker" (9:19) The most full and sophisticated song on the album, done in a style like AMOEBA SPLIT's 2016 album, Second Split.The sax is fun. (17.75/20)

Total time: 44:53

87.81 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music exploring the jazzier Canterbury veins.