Albums from the Year 2022, Part 3: Other Highly Recommended Albums

Not quite favorites nor masterpieces, there were a lot of album releases in 2022 that were of very high quality that I feel would be well worth your time to check out.

BABER / WILEMAN Baber / Wileman

Two seasoned prog artists that live less than 30 miles from one another in West England, Oxford's Matt Baber of SANGUINE HUM and ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS fame and Swindon's Richard Wileman of KARDA ESTRA fame began collaborating in 2011 with their first song "Mondo Profondo 1" appearing on Karda Estra's 2013 album, Mondo Profondo. Apparently, in the ten years since the pair have accumulated enough material (and gumption) to put out an album as a duo. 

Line-up / Musicians:
Matt Baber - keyboards, drums
Richard Wileman - guitars, vocals, bass, keyboards
with:

Amy Fry - vocals (5, 8), clarinet (7, 8)

1. "FOUR" (1:04) odd arpeggi from Fender Rhodes/xylophone MIDI piano. (4.5/5)

2. "Souvenir" (4:45) with Richard's singing this pleasant song sounds very much like something that would come from his recent solo albums. (8.667/10)

3. "Mondo Profondo 4" (5:35) cool song that starts out very simply but then increases in both complexity and aural thickness as it goes along. Nice! (8.875/10)

4. THREE audio slow" (1:57) a pleasant piano solo. (4.25/5)

5. "Emperor" (6:46) steel string guitar and Fender Rhodes piano tinkling away with one another until Richard's voice enters at 1:49. Acoustic piano begins adding its accents within the mix before the return of the Fender Rhodes signals a shift. The addition of as a background harmony vocalist in the fifth minute is a nice touch. (12.75/15)
6. "Passing Wave" (6:43) cymbal 7, later, drum play with synth riffs. After 90 seconds keyboard chords and new guitar/synth sounds added to increasingly busy drumming. This reminds me so much of a section of a recent UNAKA PRONG song (2017's "Irma")! Drummer Matt must have been having a lot of fun with this one, as well as keyboard texturist Richard. But then, at 4:20 Richard's meaty electric bass ushers in a new drumless section--which turns on all the switches at the five minute mark for a return'reprise of the Unaka Prong theme. I love the experimental nature of this one! (9/10)

7. "2009" (4:05) swooning piano arpeggi with delicate acoustic guitar and synth melody making--soon to be joined by Amy Fry on clarinet. Quite lovely in its pseudo-chamber/classical way. (8.75/10)

8. "Day Follows Night" (5:48) guitar, vibes, and cymbals set the stage for Richard and Amy to sing. KE chord progressions with Amy's clarinet follow. A dreamy floating feeling is transferred by Matt's constant Fender Rhodes arpeggi beneath all of the rest of the music. Interesting song that feels more like an étude than a complete reflection of someone's fully-developed song idea. (8.667/10)

9. "The Birth of Spring" (2:36) piano arpeggi over which Richard sings solo. Second set of piano arpeggi (in a lower octave than the ones still playing from the beginning) supports the addition of vibes, acoustic guitar and multiple tracks of Richard's voice. I like this very much! Electric guitar solos after the "do I release you, at all?" chorus is finished. Definitely my favorite song on the album. (4.75/5)

I must admit to being a little surprised at the slim selection of core instruments used here. The songs with more developed layers and weaves of instruments seem to feel more alluring and engaging. Simplicity is the go-word!

87.14 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a nice addition to any prog lover's music collection.

KIKAGAKU MOYO Kumoyo Island

Quirky psych-funk similar to the music the Tom Tom Club was doing in the 1980s.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Tomo Katsurada / vocals, guitars
- Daoud Popal / guitars
- Ryu Kurosawa / sitar
- Kotsu Guy / bass
- Go Kurosawa / drums, vocals

1. "Monaka" (5:15) (8.5/10)
2. "Dancing Blue" (6:14) (8.5/10)
3. "Effe" (3:22) (8.33/10)
4. "Meu Mar" (6:07) the most dreamy psych song on the album. Lovely. (8.75/10)
5. "Cardboard Pile" (4:06) like a 1967 / Summer of Love psych jam. (8.667/10)
6. "Gomugomu" (2:04) The Doors on even more drugs. (4.25/5)
7. "Daydream Soda" (3:25) a more modern-sounding palette conjuring up a catchy little meditative groove. (4.75/5)
8. "Field of Tiger Lillies" (1:19) East-meets-West, 1960s-meets-21st Century. (4.667/5)
9. "Yayoi, Iyayoi" (6:58) sounds like a traditional Japanese folk song put to psych-electronic instrumentation. Very interesting construct and audio palette. (13/15)
10. "Nap Song" (2:58) another modern effected-recording of what sounds like a traditional Japanese campfire song. (8.667/10)
11. "Maison Silk Road" (6:20) very interesting Ambient Eno-esque song. You know me: I'm a sucker for Eno/Ambient stuff! (9/10)

Total Time 48:08

87.09 on the Fishscales =  B/four stars; a very nice (if challenging) addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially if you like quirky mixtures of East-West and retro-modern sounds.

COMPASSIONIZER Narrow Is the Road

Prolific and ambitiously adventurous composer/musician Ivan Rozmainsky (of Roz Vitalis fame) is back with his new collective of virtuoso collaborators for a third album release since 2020. And it's a good one!

Line-up / Musicians:
- Serghei Liubcenco / electric & acoustic guitars, rubab, doira, other percussion & drums, whistles (3), recording
- Leonid Perevalov / bass clarinets, recording
- Ivan Rozmainsky / conception, Roland Juno-D, Pribor Neofit, Arturia MiniBrute & other synths, kalimba, vibraphone, marimba (2), recording
- AndRey Stefinoff / clarinets, recording
With:
- Bayun The Cat / synth bass (4,6), kalimba (6), tbilat & other percussion (6), recording (4,6)
- Angelina Dortman / flute
- Dmitry Efimchuk / acoustic guitar (8)
- Antonina Pozdnyakova / violin
- Oleg Prilutsky / trumpets, recording

1. "Only One Road for the Wayward" (7:20) Ivan & co. here move more into the discordant world of avant jazz artists like JOHN ZORN and YUGEN. I think this one succeeds because of its slow, spacious pacing and "conscientious" note-making. (13.25/15)

2. "The Invasion of a Crying Shame" (3:53) starts off as if picking up where the first song left off, but then quickly becomes something different--a kind of middle school band practice session for the horn section. Interesting for how loose and sloppy the timing is for the instrumentalists engaging in the weave. (Yes, I can tell it's done intentionally.) The grating electric guitar injected into the final quarter is surprising and a little off-putting. It's as if a 2:00 AM jam of rather tired and, probably, drunk musicians is being recorded. Not quite sure of the reason or motivation for this song to be included on a publicly-released album. (8.5/10) 

3. "Black Sky White" (5:25) there's a bit of a Celtic or even Acadian folk feel to this one. (It reminds me very much of the music from the Québecois band, CONVENTUM's 1979 album, Le bureau central des utopies.) I like it for the predominance of acoustic instrumentation. Very nice finish. A top three song for me. (9.25/10)

4. "I Need You to Help" (5:50) built around weave of comparatively sappy melodies, Serghei Liubcenco's choice for guitar sound once again mystifies me: like using a kitchen appliance, he can sure make some noise! The scaled down interlude in the middle reminds me of MASSIVE ATTACK's "Teardrop" but then we move into Asian-infused, cheesy drum-machine-led, mediæval weave while the wildest collection of disparate instruments somehow move forward together, as a rag-tag ensemble. Adventurous and laughable yet admirable! My final top three song. (9/10)

5. "Narrow Is the Road" (5:14) again Ivan & company bring together an ensemble of classical and jazz instruments to create a pathway that is somehow moving forward while taking turns giving up the leadership position, this causing some uncertain movement and moment--this despite the definitive title. Perhaps the road is old, less traveled, and poorly maintained. Anyway, against all odds, the band somehow pulls it together for the final quarter of the song to reveal some beautiful teamwork. The weave then turns to avant chamber jazz sounding quite similar to the work of Belarusian bands Rational Diet, Five-Storey Ensemble, and Archestra. Here are some quite lovely "traveling" melodies conveyed in the second half of the song. This is certainly one post-apocalyptic (or pre-industrial) band of road travelers that I would enjoy being with or encountering. My favorite song on the album. (9.5/10)

6. "In Things Too High for Me" (8:40) the solo kalimba in this song's opening does not fool me for a minute. The music quickly shifts into an electrically-founded trapse of troubadours--which occasionally turns space alien (minute #2) and Asian (minute #3). This one sounds as if it could come from some of DAVE NEWHOUSE's zany collaborations--the Moon Men or Moon X projects. In the final third the structure becomes tight, organized, almost classical, this despite the odd mix of instruments. It's a very Paolo "SKE" Botta-like sound. Not my favorite piece but interesting. (17/20)

7. "Looking from the Dome" (5:37) concertina/organ and rock electric guitar open this one before winds and cymbals join in to create a near-klezmer weave. Banjo and strings join before wah-ed guitar takes the lead. the percussion-driven rhythm and pacing remind me very much of parts of MIKE OLDFIELD's 1979 masterpiece of four "Incantations." The final stripped down minute feels more African tribal with they now-typical odd assortment of collaborating instruments. (8.75/10)

8. "Kramatorsk" (14:32) violin announces the Russian melody theme before low winds take over. Then drums This could very much be a piece by Markus Pajakkala's UTOPIANISTI--except for the fact that it doesn't change, progress, shift, or develop as dynamically as Markus' compositions. This one drags on--rather like a New Orleans funeral procession. The addtion of heavily distorted guitar strumming in the second half does little to enhance the (lack of) interesting or pleasurable development of the song. The Psycho-like violin (and, later, synthesizer) screams in the eleventh minute are surprising and, once again, do little to enhance the likeability of the song (except if you're a lover of King Crimson or Art Zoyd at their most angular/dissonant). Again, I know not the intent or message the band was trying to convey here, but it is one that is, unfortunately, totally lost to me. I understand and appreciate the adventurousness, skill, and vision it takes to compose and perform something like this, it's just not my cup of tea. (25/30)

9. "Road" (3:42) this sounds like a cute little Baroque chamber piece--something being performed for a small private audience or as background music for a museum opening. (8.5/10)

Total Time 60:13

With this album I think Ivan and his intrepid collaborators have put together their finest effort. The sound engineering and production is excellent with great clarity of each and every single instrument. My favorite selections on the album are, of course, the more chamber-oriented pieces dominated by acoustic instruments and mediæval-like folk sounds and weaves.

87.0 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any lover of truly adventurous progressive rock music. 

MYTHIC SUNSHINE Light/Flux

Instrumental psychedelic space rock jams from this Swedish band--all fitting well into the scene that My Brother The Wind, Sula Bassana, Cosmic Ground, and even Electric Orange had been occupying.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Rasmus Cleve Christensen / bass
- Frederik Denning / drums
- Emil Thorenfeldt / guitar
- Kasper Stougaard Andersen / guitar
- Søren Skov / saxophone

1. "Aurora" (8:26) a pleasant psych-Kosmische style jam built exclusively around the exact guitar strumming pattern and progression of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." Very nice to listen to, stop and sway, as the sax and guitars take turns soloing. (18/20) 

 
2. "Blood Moon" (4:46) a pretty standard blues-psych instrumental with kosmische effects that doesn't ever really get off the ground. Too monotonous. Plus, like the song before, it feels as if the foundational elements of the song have been borrowed from another time-honored song. (8.25/10)

3. "Equinox" (7:18) more psych-space jamming sounding very much like modern Kosmische Musik. Again, this one never really reaches any heights or moments to distinguish itself. (12.75/15)

4. "Decomposition" (10:32) founded on an old blues/blues-rock rhythm from the bass and drums, even the dual guitars seem to fall under the sway and spell of the blues elements. Other than a little controlled cacophony in the final two minutes, nothing very special comes out of it. (16.75/20)

5. "Tempest" (5:08) from a math rock, minimalist perspective, this is actually a fairly interesting and satisfying song. (8.75/10)

6. "First Frost (7:05) a very infectious, relaxing groove over which the guitars play. Without the presence/contributions of Søren Skov's saxophone(s) I find this song to have a much higher degree of engagement--it's like the spaciousness in the top allows one to get close--to get inside the music--and really key in on the individual guitars. There is a really cool mid-song break from 4:00 to about the five-minute mark in which the guitars are really allowed to get noticed--an effect that continues from here to the end of the song. This is by far my favorite song on the album. (13.75/15)

Total Time 43:15

Despite being a pleasant listening experience, my disappointment is rather profound that the band could find so little in the way of new or even slightly innovative ideas to express in the music on this album. Let's hope they're a more dynamic and intuitive band in the live setting (though I get the feeling that, like My Brother The Wind, these songs were all recorded from live in-the-studio performances).

86.94 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a pleasant listening experience that I'm sure many prog lovers would enjoy adding to their music collection. 

GHOST TOAST Shade Without Color

From Hungary! These polished artists have here created some heavy prog textures with sounds and motifs from other styles and ethnicities (many Middle Eastern/Arabic) to deliver politically-purposed sampled messages from world personalities.

Line-up / Musicians:
- János Stefán / bass, sound Fx, programming, acoustic guitar, keyboards
- Bence Rózsavölgyi / guitars
- Zoltán Cserős / drums, drum programming
- János Pusker / cello, keyboards

1. "Get Rid Of" (6:00) (8.667/10)

2. "Leaders" (6:51) Awesome grungy music supporting some awesome, cogent quotes from world personalities. A top three song for me. (13.5/15)

3. "Chasing Time" (12:18) good, solid metal jamming with some great catchy riffs and motifs but nothing really amazing or innovative to make this one stand out. (21.25/25) 

4. "Let Me Be No Nearer" (7:14) Arabian Reggae? I thought only MYRATH could do this! Don't worry: it goes full metal in the middle (but then it goes ENIGMA melodic!). I like the voice & presence of the female vocalist. (12.5/15)

5. "Acceptance" (5:37) a little jazz/R&B with attitude! Same formula where it gets heavy in the middle before redirecting into something with some pop elements and then trying to go heavy again. (8.5/10)

6. "Deliberate Disguises" (4:54) machine gun guitar metal with near-disco beat. Fine for its ilk. Good riff-stops in the middle followed by eerie vocal samples. For a true metal song, I actually like it! One of my other top three songs. (8.75/10)

7. "Reaper Man" (9:20) more Arabian sounds--though in the realm of subtleties. If all Prog Metal were like this and the previous song, I might become a convert! At times, because of the long instrumental passages and rhythmic shifts, I feel as if I'm listening to a recording of a Blue Man Group concert--or a heavier side of Ed Wynne/OZRIC TENTACLES. They even throw in some keyboard sounds and CURE-like passages! (17.667/20)

8. "Whimper" (8:15) too RUSH-like with not enough variety and separation to keep me engaged--until the second half when a passage of delicately picked electric guitar plays out for a bit before being joined by ADIEMUS-like drums. NIce effect from the Mellotron behind the music and voice quote sample of T.S. Eliot's "The Hollow Man". (13/15)

9. "Rejtekből (6:49) is a continuation from the previous song, using the synth washes to transition to a more ENIGMA/HYPNO5E-like song with cool Arabian female vocalise and cello over the top of a weave of some interesting Middle Eastern percussives. Great chord progression behind cello and vocal sample in the final two minutes. Great atmospheric song and my other top three. (13.25/15)

Total Time 67:18

86.73 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.

WIZRD Seasons

Nice psych rock from Trondheim Norway. The complex music here sounds a lot like MOTORPSYCHO with the musicianship being on a par (if not better) than their fellow Norwegian elders. Bands like MAGIC BUS and KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD also often come to mind.

Lineup / Musicians:

 - Hallvard Gaardløs (Spidergawd, Draken and more) - bass and lead vocals

 - Karl Bjorå (Megalodon Collective and more) - guitar and vocals 

 - Vegard Lien Bjerkan (Soft Ffog and more) - keyboards and vocals 

 - Axel Skalstad (Krokofant, Soft Ffog and more) - drums

1. "Lessons" (4:10) poppy psych rock with a bit of a KING GIZZARD flare to the lyrics and vocal approach. Cute and upbeat music to which the lyrics are the most important aspect. (8.75/10)

2. "Free Will" (4:43) more complex instrumental start bordering on some quirky avant jazz before settling into something smoother for the singing verses. The chorus sections show a return to the more wild, chaotic music of the opening introduction. Unusual and interesting. I like it! The guitar play in the instrumental finish would make a young Reine Fiske proud. A top three song for me. (8.75/10)

3. "Spitfire" (4:59) rodeo fast and late-1960s-THE WHO-worthy, this is impressive but not my favorite.  (8.5/10)

4. "All Is As It Should Be" (8:09) a modern Kosmische Musik jam like something from the MY BROTHER THE WIND outfit. Nice shift at 2:30 to make way for the Hammond solo--which begins a section that sounds like it comes straight out of a MOTORPSYCHO instrumental jam section. Nice lead guitar work in the sixth and seventh minutes. I like the group choral vocal approach (reminding me of KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD). (13/15)

5. "Show Me What You Got" (7:44) More impressive MOTORPSYCHO-like musicianship and sonic textures with some interesting chorus. Definitely in the realm of musical expression similar to the German "Krautrock" bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Very fast-paced musicianship from every body on board resulting in a very thick, tight weave (with very busy percussion work!). Midway through, the music switches (at first I thought it was a completely new and different MAGIC BUS-like song) creating a softer, hippy blues-jazzier weave and mood. Interesting song suite. Hard to assign a rating to! (13.25/15)

6. "Fire & Water" (3:40) opens a bit like something THE BAND OF GYPSIES or CREAM might have done. Then the music settles into a rock supportive blues-rock song. (8/10)

7. "Divine" (6:03) A bit of a country / quirky folk rock feel here--not unlike that of some Canadian and Australian folk rock bands. Almost R&B poppy in the catchy/pretty chorus. A top three song for me. (9/10)

8. "When You Call" (4:24) flowing straight out of the psychedelic palette of the previous song, it quickly morphs into a kind of AIR-like soundscape before the delicate Paul Evans (MAGIC BUS)-like vocal of Hallvard Gaardløs. I like the rather abrupt and aggressive appearance and play of the sitar in the third minute--opening up another MOTORPSYCHO-like section with group vocals to take us out. My final top three song. (8.75/10)

Album length: 43:57

A refreshingly different expression of the nouveau psychedelic jam band music. I am definitely impressed with the energy and spirit of these young upstarts as well as the excellent musicianship of all members in the music.

86.67 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's record collection--especially if you're into the new youth psychedelia like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.

ED WYNNE Tumbling Through the Floativerse

Ozrics Tentacles founder/leader Ed Wynne teams up with his Dutch counterpart, Gre Vanderloo, to put out an album that is every bit as Ozrics as anything Ozrics ever tentacled. 

Line-up / Musicians:

- Ed Wynne / guitar, synthesizers

- Gre Vanderloo / synthesizers, effects

- Silas Neptune / synthesizers

- Paul Klaessen / bass

1. "Oilyvoice" (6:27) a little faster paced than typical OT songs, making it lose some of its room for information (and appeal). Kind of like a parody of itself. (8.25/10)

2. "Seen the Sun" (11:41) disco Ozrics. I don't care much for the first several layers/motifs, but it gets better in the second minute, even moreso in the third and fourth. Overall solid song. A top three song. (17.5/20)

3. "Magnetoforia" (5:49) space dreamy sounds at the beginning sound/feel a little dated (like 1980s New Age). Improves a little with layers. Amazing that those drums aren't real drums! (8.5/10)

4. "Pelmonauts" (6:37) lush pre-desert Saharan jungle dreamscape turns into contemplative journey through the jungle--on foot and on quadruped. Nice. Great use of layering--especially with the bass line and female voices. A top three song for me. (9/10)

5. "Floating Plates" (7:12) too familiar. Don't like the Reggae beat foundation or vocals. (12.5/15)

6. "Infinity Curtains" (6:19) opens with a Prog Electronic sound and feel. Again, it's hard to believe that these drum sounds aren't coming from a real drum kit. Again, it's just too Ozrics familiar--like it's been done. Nice bass line switch at the two-minute mark. The song does switch motifs and pacings a couple times, which is nice (and unusual), so kudos here. (8.5/10)

7. "Starseeds" (9:17) synths and metallic percussives open this for the first minute before drums and bass line establish themselves and the foundational core. Full of subtleties that make this much more interesting than any of the other songs on the album: with this song, it's not about the groove and pace, it's about the delicate nuances. I love hearing the jazzy JAN AKKERMAN-like guitar strums of complex chord sequences within/beneath the music. Another top three song for me. (18/20)

Total Time 53:22

To me, the most astonishing part of this album are the drum play on "Infinity Circles" and, to a lesser degree, "Magnetoforia" and "Starseeds." They're just too real to be synthesized! Otherwise, this feels like another Ozrics Tentacles album with very little in the way of new fresh ideas.

86.58 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; a nice addition to any prog lover's music collection.

ARENA The Theory of Molecular Inheritance

The 30-year old band of "NeoProggers" are back with another album, their tenth and first in four years. Thanks to the absolute perfect fit of power-singer Damian Wilson, this may be their best.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Damian Wilson / vocals

- John Mitchell / guitars, backing vocals

- Clive Nolan / keyboards, backing vocals

- Kylan Amos / bass

- Mick Pointer / drums

1. "Time Capsule" (5:30) incredible vocal performance--perhaps the best I've ever heard from prog veteran Damian Wilson. (9.5/10)

2. "The Equation (The Science of Magic)" (6:29) rather dull despite the excellent final 90 seconds. (8.25/10)

3. "Twenty-One Grams" (6:34) stereotypic drum play beneath the heavy verses but not in the more delicately textured soundscapes in the choruses. Another nice vocal performance from Damian. (8.667/10)

4. "Confession" (2:20) sounds a bit Broadway theatric. Perhaps Damian has done Phantom or Cats. (4.25/5)

5. "The Heiligenstadt Legacy" (5:42) a story song with wide dynamic range, it sounds so much like a classic rock song by JOURNEY or BON JOVI or something like that (I wouldn't really know: I was never a fan or collector of that kind of music). (8.5/10)

6. "Field of Sinners" (6:27) has a cinematic quality as well as a Thin Lizzy "Jailbreak" sound and feel to it. Nice guitar work from John Mitchell. I'm a little tired of these "borrowed" drum tracks: its as if Mick Pointer plays from programs injecting little or none of his own personality into his performances. When Damian is belting it he sounds so (too) much like some classic rock singer from the 1980s (if not Phil Lynott). (I'm too tired and lazy and disinterested to find out who.) A solid song with nice textures and layers but nothing new or special here. (8.75/10)

7. "Pure of Heart" (6:18) Standard heavy prog with a 1980s Power Rock/Metal sound and feel. (8.5/10)

8. "Under the Microscope" (6:51) perfectly matched music and vocal performance for the first two minutes before a PINK FLOYD "Comfortably Numb" chorus takes over. Speeding along after that is  some excellent racing prog with both Clive and John firing on all cylinders. (13/15)

9. "Integration" (4:48) Damian singing some very powerful lyrics about the topic of nature v. nurture over piano and later synth. At the end of the third minute, Damian finishes, releasing the hounds to express themselves in a kind of Clive Nolan-dominated Scottish reel. Very Tony Banks/Genesis-like. (8.75/10)

10. "Part of You" (5:54) Damian sings "the world has done" over pulsing keyboard "strings" for the first minute before a more metal bass musical soundscape establishes itself as the foundation for the rest of the song. Like an old LOVERBOY song. Too cliché. (8.33/10)

11 "Life Goes On" (5:11) piano chord arpeggi are joined by Damian for a little intro before the rest of the band joins in. The music is rather unexceptional, the lyrics obtuse to me, and John Mitchell's solo is seasoned and fiery. The band ramps up for the final 90 seconds with its choral repetition of the song's title. A very solid studio song. (8.667/10)

Despite being the most likable Arena album I've heard (so far, I've only heard The Visitor, Immortal? and Contagion), this is, to my ears, nothing more than splicing and dicing of recapitulated sounds and riffs from past masters with a great singer singing about topics more relevant to current times. 

86.52 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a very good addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially for the masterful performances of singer Damian Wilson. 

SIIILK Eemynor

A French band that only came into my awareness by way of their excellent 2017 release, Endless Mystery, though they've been around since at least 2011.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Richard Pick / vocals, handpan

- Catherine Pick / Indian vocals, harmonium

- Gilbert Gandil / acoustic & electric guitars

- Jacques Roman / keyboards, sounds

- Guillaume Antonicelli / bass

- Clement Vullion / drums

With:

- Alain Chaléard / Iranian daf (1,4)

- Roland Richard / clarinet (6)

- Attilio Terlizzi / drums (5)

1. "Eemynor" (8:27) interesting Giancarlo Erra soundscape with Middle Eastern instruments and sounds peppering the sonic landscape. At the two-minute mark Gilbert Gandil's Fripp-ish "infinity guitar" (e-bow?) enters. Pretty. At 3:05 we switch to a plucked electrified acoustic guitar chord progression as the stark foundation. More blues rock-sounding guitar solos intermittently between and around Richard's whisper-sung vocal.  (17.5/20)

2. "Signs in the Sand" (9:40) Part One sounds like Steven Wilson's 1990s Porcupine Tree. (17.667/20)

3. "Burning Hopes" (4:52) graced by the gorgeous voice of Catherine Pick, this sounds a bit like a Scandanavian dream pop band--like something by Anna Järvinen or Stina Nordenstam. (8.75/10)

   

4. "Monsoon Lights" (4:49) dobro-like stringed instrument strummed with Indian woodwind (daf) while Richard and Pick perform a vocal duet. Their timing, unfortunately, is not very well synchronized. Nice music beneath, though. (8.5/10)

5. "Spandam" (4:42) opens with guitar picked like something rom PINK FLOYD's The Wall ("Goodbye Blue Sky"). In the second minute it ramps up with full band for a nice HACKETT-like guitar solo. Interesting how close this sounds to several other famous songs (including Crhis Isaak's "Wicked Game"). (8.667/10)

6. "Morning Rain" (5:12) picked and plucked electrified acoustic guitar descending chord sequence support vocals from both Richard and Catherine, alternating and together. Catherine's choruses have the support of the full band with drums; verses are sparse with only the complement of guitars and bass. Instrumental "C" section is sparse with "lonely" clarinet soloing over guitars and delicate cymbal play. (8.75/10)

7. "Song for Syd" (6:34) with the arrival of this very Tim Bowness (No-Man)- or Giancarlo Erra (NoSound)-like song I am reminded of the effect that those two respective artist's albums have on me: I enjoy the beautiful songs and soundscapes they present to the listener--tremendously--on an indivicual song-by-song basis but find myself getting quite fatigued and disinterested over the course of an entire album. Nice song but I'm starting to get fatigued. (8.667/10)

8. "Number 9" (3:18) a looped monastic-like chant opens the first minute of this song as walkie-talkie-like vocal samples plays within. A Harold Budd-like treated piano scape then takes over before more military-like radio talk and Tibetan-like chant loop return. I also really enjoy the computer clicking used for the percussion track. A cool, refreshingly innovative song. My favorite on the album. (9/10)

Total Time 47:34

Endless Mystery received my personal dedication as prog's "ear candy" album of 2017 and Eemynor falls right into the same vein but it's just not quite as compelling.

86.50 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an very nice addition to any prog lover's music collection. 

YOO DOO RIGHT A Murmur, Boundless to the East

The sophomore studio release from these young Québecois Krautrockers.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Justin Cober / vocals, guitars, synthesizers
- Charles Masson / bass
- John Talbot / drums
With:
- Jessica Moss / violin (1,5)

1. "Say Less, Do More" (8:32) Post Rock with Krautrock's simplicity and voice-over. The first two minutes are pleasantly hypnotic, even melodic, but so simple. Interesting things begin to happed with Slowdive-like guitars and more cymbal action from the drums in the third minute, then the post-punk vocal rant enters (sung in accented-English). This could very well have come out of some young angry Brits in the early 1980s--like Joy Division or even The Clash (in their more introspective moments). In the end, there just isn't enough to make this anything more that good solid Post-punk Post Rock (though I do love the contribution of Jessica Moss' violin in the final minutes). (17/20)

2. "SMB" (6:42) près de Disco Post Rock. Buce sound palette coming from the two guitars but all in all, even with its Post Rock slow-build and cresecendo, it's just too simplistic and unchanging. (8.33/10)

3. "Dérive" (8:03) a mysterious, almost cinematic foundation with some great bass play and atmospheric synths, but, in the end, it's just too CAN-like. The crescendoing fourth, fifth, and sixth minutes (mostly from the glissandoing guitars) shows great promise, great energy, but then it all comes crashing down in a JAMBINAI/MONO way before resetting to the opening motif as if nothing had happened. Crazy! (13.25/15)

4. "The Failure of Stiff, Tired Friends" (6:02) smooth and pleasantly atmospheric; parts of this could come from THE CURE or some 1980s (John Hughes) movie soundtrack. I like it. Very much. (8.875/10)

5. "Feet Together, Face Up, on the Front Lawn" (16:36) A heavy start to this one puts them in the realm of Post Rock bands like SLEEPMAKESWAVES and MONO. At the three-minute mark the music shifts radically into a pure CAN mode--even with crazed vocals of the Damo Suzuki kind, but then we quite as drastically and mysteriously shift back to the heavy POST ROCK motif at the end of the fourth minute for a few bars, but then it reverts back into the CAN motif again. Back and forth a couple times before going Post Rock and drawing it out (and down) into a more SWANS-like form and style. Pretty ingenious if derivative. We kind of stay in the Swans and heavy Post Rock realms for the remainder of the song. (26/30)

Total Time 45:55

Quite a disappointment for I had very high expectations for this band after their stunning debut. Still, the album did get better the deeper you get into the album. And, overall, I do like the sound of this band! I am not done with guys yet, yoo doo right! 

86.44 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a solid album of Nouveau Post Rock that, though not as impressive as one might have hoped for after their delightfully refreshing debut, would still make a nice addition to any prog lover's music collection. 

GRECO BASTIÁN With a Little Hell from All My Friends

A diverse collection of modern Avant Garde/RIO songs from a collaboration of a veritable who's who of RIO, Zeuhl, and Avant Jazz artists under the leadership Mexican Greco Bastián--an artist who was hitherto unknown to me. (Is the album title a reference to the 2006 film of the same title from Suzanne Shepherd? If so, it would explain some of the cinematic moods and themes expressed in Greco's music.)

Line-up / Musicians:
- Tatsuya Yoshida, Japan (Koenjihyakkei, Ruins, Korekyojinn) / drums
- Jean-Luc Plouvier, Belgium (Univers Zero, Maximalist!, Daniel Schell & Karo) / piano
- Ryoko Ono, Japan (Sax Ruins, Plastic Dogs, Ryorchestra) / saxophone
- Pierre Vervloesem, Belgium (X-Legged Sally, Flat Earth Society, Kings of Belgium) / electric guitars
- Matt Lebofsky, USA (Mirthkon, Secret Chiefs 3, Moetar) / basses
- Patrick Shiroishi, Japan (Corima, Upsilon Acrux, Sswan) / saxophone
- Emmett Elvin, UK (Guapo, Knifeworld, Chrome Hoof) / electric guitar, bass
- Vincent Sicot-Vantalon, France (Scherzoo, Unit Wail, Zero Zero Zero) / piano, keyboard effects
- Jon Bafus, USA (Gentleman Surfer, Afternoon Brother, Invasive Species) / drums
- Samo Salamon, Slovenia (Trio, Quartet, Sextet) / electric guitars
- José Luis Velasco, México / electric guitar, bass
- Hey Figueroa, México (Mushasho) / basses
- Armando Lagarda, México (Mushasho) / drums
- Edson Santana Reyna, México / acoustic & charango guitars
- Gerardo Ramlop, México / xylophone
- Greco Bastián, México / piano, keyboard effects, VST's

1. "Proteo Revampirizado" (6:30) I don't like the hollow and plastic drum-machine sounding sounds coming from Tatsuya Yoshida's drums but the weave of dobro/banjo and tuned percussives (including piano) is pretty engaging. The electric guitar solo at the end of the second minute is harsh while the weave that follows almost sounds like Flim and the BBs. The bass, up front and center, is great to hear but it's a little repetitious--and the banjo/dobro is also quite forward while the saxophone(s) are mixed behind. Interesting. I'm not sure I'm picking up on the vampire reference despite the horror movie plodding and chaos. Any relation to early Bondage Fruit? (8.75/10) 

2. "Zidane Racist" (6:29) I've never been able to find much like/tolerance for a klezmer-type of music--even when it is trying to be Peter Gunn-like. Also, though the collective pace and cohesive synchronization of the instrumentalists' melody lines is impressive, much of it feels either auto-aligned or MIDI(VST)ed. I wonder if the "band" could perform this tightly live. And the bass sounds so isolated, even weirdly compressed. A stop and left turn at 4:20 feels NIL-ish. Interesting. There is, of course, a lot of Zeuhlishness to the music as well. (Love the BEATLES reference with the final piano hit and long hold!) (8.75/10)

3. "Zeuhlito Lindo" (5:27) I hate these plastic-sounding tom-tom heads that Tatsuya Yoshida is using. (They remind me so much of Markus Pajakkala's Brutopianisti album from 2017.) Yech! Again, the klezmer freneticism of the opening pace and whole-band weave is not my favorite style to listen to, but, luckily, some spacious isolation of various instruments (over the very busy drums, bass, and piano) occurs enough to let me relax. Matt Lebofsky's bass play is right up front and center but not chunky enough to be Zeuhlish and not creative enough for my expectations. Again I am very much reminded of the music of Markus Pajakkala--especially in his Brutopianisti release--though there are also motifs reminding me of black midi's Cavalcade. The musicianship is excellent--so tight and so precise. I wish the drums didn't drive me to distraction. (8.75/10)

4. "Oniontown" (5:44) released in 2019, this is virtually the same MIDI(VST)ed composition performed and recorded by Greco back then with friends and members of his old band, Cobalto Circus. The stop-and-go format is more spacious than the other stuff on this new album. (8.5/10)

5. "Aclowntrenós" (4:44) rolling bas line, grating saw-guitar chord strums, xylophone and piano and, later, VST (Virtual Studio Technology) horns. Sounds like an exercise in math rock. (8.5/10)

6. "My First Metal Swing Set" (2:09) lower octave piano arpeggio starts this one before ATOMIC APE-like cinematic chase music takes over. Lead electric guitar and xylophone stand out with wailing guitar playing in a Robert Fripp/KING CRIMSON style and sound palette--which is cool, except … it's been done before. (Think: instrumental sections between Adrian Belew's vocals on "Indiscipline"). Hard driving and brief. (4.25/5)

7. "D.A.S" (1:42) rolling bass, syncopated drums, and screeching saw guitar gives this a very MIDI(VST) sound. (4.25/5)

8. "Don't Open Til Xmas" (3:13) a variation/play upon the "Jingle Bells" melody line, though the sound palette has changed quite a bit--with some fuzzy sax and synths playing the crazy lead weave with the piano--but it all sounds too tight--like it's MIDIed. (8.5/10)

9. "Exit Filming for a Muse" (4:59) quite a cinematic song--and fit for the soundtrack to a slow processional in a carnival or small town parade. Besides the drums, this one is all computer created, all Greco solo. It's actually pretty good--pretty easy to access and sync with--especially the searing "guitar" soloing over the top over everything. (8.75/10)

Total Time 40:57

My main complaint with much of this album is the frenetic pace, the use of "cold" plastic tom heads (when used), and the often too-precise synchrony of the herd of stampeding instruments--which makes me second guess the engineering: whether instruments are interlocked by engineering "auto-tune"-like computer mechanisms or by being MIDIed (here called "Virtual Studio Technology") to Bastián's keyboard. For all we've been told, the impressive list of collaborators might have contributed instrument sounds only which Greco alone could have totally manipulated and formed his song compositions with his computer technology skills. This is especially at issue due to Greco's past and his self-professed absence of skill as a musician/instrumentalist. (His Bandcamp biographical statement says, "I'm just a man lost in music. I cannot play any instrument, but I know how it must to be played, so I compose some tunes and some dear friends help me in order to make it sounds as it has to be...")

86.25 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a nice, though perhaps challenging, addition to any prog lover's music collection.

LOBATE SCARP You Have It All

Ten years after Adam Sears and friends entered Prog World with their debut album, 2012's Time and Space, Adam engages a bunch of veteran prog rockers from the symphonic NeoProg persuasion of musical production (of which several contributors were members of that original Lobate Scarp lineup) to jam (in some form or other) over and with some of his songs--taking turns offering solos over some of Adam Sears' very basic groovin' chord progressions.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Adam Sears / lead vocals, synths, piano, organs
- Andy Catt / bass, vocals
- Peter Matuchniak / guitars
- Hoyt Binder / guitar (2)
- Nate Olmos / guitar (7)
- Eric Moore / drums (1,5,9)
- Jimmy Keegan / drums (4,8)
- Mike Gerbrandt / drums (2,7)
- Billy Sherwood / vocals (5)
- Jon Davison / vocals (5)
- Ryo Okumoto / B3 organs, synths, jazz piano (1,8)
- Aiko Jimena Richter / violin (1,4,5,9)
- Yvette Holzwarth / violin (1,4,5,9)
- Thomas Lea / viola (1,4,5,9)
- Hillary Smith / cello (1,4,5,9)
- Andrea Whitt / viola, pedal steel (1,2,7)
- Rachel Grace / violin (2)
- Tawnee Lynn Lilo / French horn (1,4,9)
- Steve Huber / violin, viola (3)
- Michael Bernard / synth & drums programming
- Raul Hernadez / additional guitars
- Steven Leavitt / piano, B3, Moog, synth programming, maracas, tambourine, glockenspiel, vocals
- Rich Mouser / additional rhythm & lead guitars, 12-string acoustic guitar, mandolin, shaker, tambourine, dilruba

1. "Conduit" (7:00) (12.75/15)

2. "Nothing Wrong" (6:17) spacious ambient Indian opening turns into full-blown bombastic NeoProg beneath Paul's impassioned if repetitive singing. Again, the solos are everywhere--even while Adam is singing. (8/10)

3. "In the Night I" (0:55) Are you serious?!! I've recorded better ditties than this little keyboard children's play on the toilet! (3/5)

4. "Life-Line" (5:55) sounds like a song by MISTER MISTER, GENE LOVES JEZEBEL, or MIKE + THE MECHANICS ("All I Need Is a Miracle"). Saccharine melodies, simple pop chord progression, with Adam's gentle 1980s vocal. Jimmy Keegan's drums are solid. The finish has its merits. (8.5/10)

5. "You Have It All" (14:25) a crossover prog song that blends classical instrumentation with prog rock electronic instruments quite nicely. The protracted delicate pastoral section that begins at 3:30 is particularly nice--with particularly well-matched drumming from Suicidal Tendencies' Eric Moore and some nice singing from vocalists Billy Sherwood and Jon Davidson. This pretty section builds after Billy Sherwood's vocal into a prog lover's wet dream with great lush keyboard supported electric guitar solo and then finishing with an impassioned vocal from Jon Davidson and more great lead guitar shredding (from Peter Matuchniak or Rich Mouser?) At the end of the tenth minute things smooth out for some nice violin, keyboard, and different guitar solo tradeoffs. Easily the best, most truly and refreshingly proggy song on the album. The keyboard work in the twelfth minute gets a little dull despite some great drumming. And, unfortunately the plagiarized BEATLES final two minutes is a let down for the poor vocal "hook" being repeated. (27.5/30)

6. "In the Night II" (1:14) considerably better than it's prior twin. (4.33/5)

7. "Beautiful Light" (5:46) nice MOSTLY AUTUMN or MANTRA VEGA beginning and Prog Folk foundational music before Adam's pleasant vocal. (His voice here reminds me of a West End version of Kevin Ayers.) (8.667/10)

8. "Our Test Tube Universe" (7:33) nice classically constructed song featuring Ryo Okumoto and Jimmy Keagan of Spock's Beard and, of course, the guitar talents of crossover/eclectic sessions and solo artist Peter Matuchniak. (12.75/15)

9. "Flowing Through the Change" (17:24) I know that drummer Eric Moore's presence is one of the things the band touts in the promotion of this song, but there's something about the mix that makes his drums stand out in a rather awkward way. The mix (and performance) are so much better on "You Have It All." Also, the lines/transfer points between each of the suite's five subsections are not as clearly delineated as one might hope for. Still, it is definitely a well constructed NeoProg epic. (30.75/35):
- i. Futureflow - some similarities to ASIA's "Heat of the Moment" in the opening. 
- ii. In the Night III - then things settle into a slow pleasant synth-based foundation with the most annoying bass-line front and center. Thank got it goes away when Adam starts singing (though it is soon picked up and regurgitated ad nauseum by the electric guitar). The instrumental section following the vocal contains a nice electric guitar solo followed by some nice "strings" chord progressions.
- iii. Dreamflow - instrumental section.
- iv. A New Beginning - poppy uplifting music beginning at the end of the tenth minute has some nice hooks and strings work. The repeating four chord progression over which the section is constructed grows old fairly quickly. 
- v. Dreams Are Coming True - More prog-like music with some interesting time syncopations, drumming, and interesting NeoProg solos. Nice MYSTERY-like ending.

Total Time 66:29

A pleasant, unoffensive listen--especially if you're into solos and not creative structures or stories. It is nice, however, that almost all of the album's songs have a corresponding video presence on YouTube--created by Adam and the band members.

86.20 on the Fishscales = B-/four stars; a nice addition to any NeoProg lover's music collection and not a bad listen for someone looking for more adventurous "progressive" rock music.

KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD Omnium

We're not even a third of the way through the year and King Gizz is releasing its second album of the year--and it's rumored that a total of five are due to be released this year! Well, if it's all happy music like this one, I for one welcome it! 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Stu Mackenzie / vocals, guitar, bass, organ, piano, percussion, flute, vibraphone, Wurlitzer, synthesizer, keyboards, vocoder, Mellotron
- Michael Cavanagh / drums & percussion
- Lucas Harwood / bass
- Cook Craig / guitar, vocals, synthesizer
- Ambrose Kenny-Smith / vocals, organ, percussion, Wurlitzer, harmonica, synthesizer, saxophone, guitar, vibraphone
- Joey Walker / guitar, vocals, synthesizer, percussion, bass, Mellotron
With:
- Amy Findlay / drums (10)

LP 1 (40:21)
1. "The Dripping Tap" (18:17) the first 75 seconds of this sound as if the lead singer of ARCADE FIRE were singing karaoke over an instrumental version of some AL GREEN lounge song. But then the band takes a quick turn to convert to rip-roaring rock with that punk rock on speed drumming plowing through to mark the way. Multiple guitars and synths, even vocals, try to express their joy and excitement in a kind of ALLMAN BROTHERS way, jamming over Robo-Jaki (LIEBEZEIT)'s frenzied metronomic drum play. At 6:25 the Win Butler heavily-treated voice returns over a bit of a break from the instruments (they're just sipping from their drinks, toking from their bongs) but then they're all off to the races for round two. In the 12th-minute there is another brief lull from the instruments during which a chorus of vocalists organize themselves around a chant of "Drip drip from the tap, don't slip" which then goes on for a good three minutes before a swell of guitars breaks it off. Then a relative quiet of the lead instruments allows another vocal section before everyone is unleashed yet one more time for a display of frenetic passion. The final minute sees a recapitulation of the opening section only with the full rhythm section in rapid support. A good song if you're into these jam songs--if you like listening to the passionate solos of a variety of instrumentalists. (I, however, am no longer one of these.) (35/40) 

 
2. "Magenta Mountain" (6:05) a bit of a THE FLAMING LIPS feel to this. Nice bass sound and b vox. (8.5/10)

3. "Kepler-22B" (3:13) a very catchy, groovin' R&B tune that makes me think that Tame Impala might have merged with Durand Jones & The Indications. One of my favorite KG&tLW songs of all-time. (9.5/10)

4. "Gaia" (5:11) a monstrously heavy beast, chugging along as if it were a djenty metal song. Even the vocal approach is right in line with the growl vocalists of those genres, all in the attempt at presenting our planet's persona from a testosterone-driven male perspective (which is an interesting prospect in and of itself). If tongue-in-cheek, it's hilarious; if serious, it saddens me. The band is certainlly branching out into new territory with this one. (8.5/10)

5. "Ambergris" (4:27) another gentle, romantic R&B-like slow-dance groove with some awesome EW&Fire-like group vocals and wonderfully playful bass play and an awesome little microtonal guitar solo--so sexy! (9/10)

6. "Sadie Sorceress" (3:08) with a beat like a1990s Hip Hop classic, the boys take on the territory of the sacrosanct BEASTIE BOYS and do quite an admirable job of it as they do (though once again I hear much more of JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE's voice and rap style). (8.75/10)

LP 2 (39:59)
7. Evilest Man" (7:39) sequenced percussive computer notes are intermixed with the boys' full-on jam ensemble before clearing out for the Fender Rhodes chords that support a solo voce vocal performance  that sounds like it comes from the 1970s. (13/15)

8. "The Garden Goblin" (2:57) a song that sounds so straight out of the psychedelic 1960s London Scene--until, that is, the synth solos. Everytime the vocal choir sings I picture The Buckinghams or The Lovin' Spoonful up on stage in Top of the Pops. (8.5/10)

9. "Blame It on the Weather" (2:31) feels like a continuation of the previous song (same instrumental sound palette and effected choral-vocals). Nice guitar durning the choral chorus. (8.25/10)

10. "Persistence" (3:48) another song that could've come from the cutting floor of a Justin Timberlake recording session in the 2000s. Nice early Tony Levin ChapmanStick-like bass line. (8.25/10)

11. "The Grim Reaper" (3:06) harpsichord and bass open before rap rhythm track takes the fore and the group rap takes over. The overall vocal tone sounds almost like Alvin and the Chipmunks. The intent of this might be more clear if I were into lyrics. The music is okay. (8.5/10)

12. "Presumptuous" (4:53) another song that sounds like (could very well be) a tongue-in-cheek Justin Timberlake parody. It's actually quite well done--has a great melody line, vocal performance and, when the full band joins in (about halfway in) nice overall groove and sound--a bit of SANTANA being channelled in the instrumental second half (some of it quite obviously intentional). (8.75/10)

13. "Predator X" (3:46) another foray into the realm of metal music. It just feels wrong--half-hearted and thus, tongue-in-cheek. I don't think this is a direction the band should continue pursuing. (8/10)

14. "Red Smoke" (4:22) I don't which band member is the voice of these teenage Arcade Fire vocal performances but he has my permission to try another shtick. (7.75/10)

15. "Candles" (4:34) pretty sound palette and arpeggiated chords to open before a "Shaft" cymbal-play signals a shift into another gear. The dreamy choral repetition of the word "Candles" is funny in a The Lonely Island kind of way. Sounds 1960s French while, of course, coming from a 21st Century perspective, thus, funnier than hell. (9/10)

16. "The Funeral" (2:23) a nice continuation of the sound and style of the previous song. (4.5/5)

Total Time 80:00 

Whichever reviewers called this a "smorgasborg" of the band's new "greatest hits," they were spot on. I do not think that, overall, this album stands up to most of the songs on Changes or Laminated Denim's "Hypertension" or most of the stuff on Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms, & Lava. Also, I don't know if it is the expressed or subversive intent of the band to make fun of old musical styles and artists, but it sure seems so--and would gain points for successful attempts at humor if it were so.

86.18 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; a very nice addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially if you like upbeat, tongue-in-cheek parodies of older musical styles--rated up for volume, quality, and variety.