New Album Reviews - Spring 2023
We're already almost halfway through the year, and there have been numerous notable new music releases. Here are some of the albums I have been listening to from this Spring (March-June), with some brief capsule reviews.
Nickel Creek - Celebrants.
Nickel Creek is an American contemporary bluegrass trio consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin, vocals), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle, vocals) and Sean Watkins (guitar, vocals), formed in 1989 in Southern California. They are known for their blending of traditional bluegrass with more modern aspects of indie and folk rock. They released a couple albums in the 90's, but really started to attract attention and acclaim after working with Alison Krauss, who produced their breakthrough self-titled album in 2000 and the follow-up, This Side in 2002. This was the period that I was familiar with for the band. They released a couple more albums over the next several years (that I have not heard), but had not released any new music since 2014, until this new album, Celebrants. And I have to say that it is just FANTASTIC! I love the more progressive approach they took and the more complex song structures and edgier arrangements, as well as the jazzy influences. The album has a cohesiveness to it and some thematic elements running through it, such as the strategic use of dissonance in some songs and arrangements. They have shown in the past that they can do sweet and catchy pop bluegrass, but this goes well beyond that, into some more interesting territory. Yet, there is still enough of the traditional bluegrass spirit and style that it is remains familiar, just goes in some different directions. A full album with 18 relatively short songs and just under an hour length, an hour of of wonderful music. Its' hard to pick out the highlights because every song is so good. Certainly one of the best albums of the year so far, and one that should appeal to music lovers well beyond the traditional bluegrass and folk audience. Best Tracks: Holding Pattern, Where the Long Line Leads, Stone's Throw, To the Airport, Failure isn't Forever, Strangers. Weak tracks: none. Rating: 4.5ó
Exploring Birdsong - Dancing on the Face of Danger -EP (2023), as well as The Thing with Feathers -EP (2019).
Exploring Birdsong is an exciting, relatively new progressive rock trio out of Liverpool, UK, consisting of Lynsey Ward (vocals, piano), Johnny Knight (bass, synths), and Matt Henrison (drums), that features a soaring keyboard-driven prog style with great female vocals and bold, dynamic songs, and featuring a unique blend of classic and modern Prog with jazz and pop touches. So far, they have only released 2 EPs, their first in 2019,
The Thing with Feathers, and just released earlier this year,
Dancing in the Face of Danger. Both are excellent. The first EP features more piano and is a bit more acoustic, with strong jazz influences but set in a Neo-Prog soundscape, whereas the new EP features more synths and a slicker production style, but both deliver great songs and dynamic prog arrangements with intricate keyboard lines, driving rhythms, and odd time signatures. They have aspects that are somewhat like a mixture of
Magenta, Renaissance, Big Big Train, and
Porcupine Tree, with some
Chuck Leavell and
Dave Brubeck and even maybe some
Fleetwood Mac thrown in. Each EP has 5 main songs (about 25 min. total), with great riffs and rhythms, and an aggressive approach, yet still always quite melodic and engaging. I actually prefer the earlier EP a bit more, with its more dynamic piano-centric sound, but both EPs are great. Although they do not yet have a full album release, these 2 EPs go together very well to make a nice full-length album. Highly recommended to check out (Their music is available through Bandcamp).
Best Tracks: (From
Feathers) the River, The Sinking Question, The Baptism, (From
Dancing) The Way Down, Bear The Weight, Ever The Optimist. Rating:
4.5óJethro Tull - RokFluteOK, so this is the second album from Jethro Tull within the last 15 months, when it had been nearly 20 since their previous album before The Zealot Gene (2022). Overall, this new one is a fair bit better than Zealot Gene, with great flute work and some really nice instrumental sections. But I think it still falls into a similar category, in that it is a good album, but not great. It is fine, and quite pleasant to listen to, but not much more than that. Many quite nice melodies and arrangements, but never quite takes off. Reportedly, this album was originally intended to be an all instrumental album, featuring the flute, but then Ian became fascinated with Norse mythology and wanted to incorporate that into his songs, which resulted in some new songs and vocals added to previously existing ones. However, the vocals are the weakest part of the album, and I think at least some of the songs should have been kept as instrumentals, particularly Cornucopia and Gaurdian's Watch, as the vocal sections are not really needed and actually detract from the inherent beauty of the songs. And although the backing tracks and arrangements are better here than the last album, I still don't hear a real band, it still seems like another Ian Anderson solo album (which is fine, but it's not fully Tull). Another oddity here is that Anderson's wonderful acoustic guitar work is completely missing from this album, nowhere to be found. Not sure if this is one I will come back to very often, but it is an enjoyable listen and worth checking out. However, it is quite telling that although this album only came out a couple months ago, it already seems to be virtually forgotten, which doesen't bode well for it achieving classic status. Best Tracks: Wolf Unchained, The Perfect One, The Trickster (And the Mistletoe), The Navigators, Cornucopia. Rating: 3ó.
Yes - Mirror to the Sky
With this, the 23rd studio album from prog legends
Yes, and following on the heels of their somewhat underwhelming 2021 album,
The Quest (which didn't sound much like Yes at all), there was some cause for concern. However, this album follows more closely to the traditional Yes style and sound, has some great songs, and delivers their best album in many years. Of course, the band composition is quite a bit different from their earlier days, with both Chris Squire and Alan White having passed away, and Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman not a part of the band anymore, leaving guitarist Steve Howe in charge, leading singer Jon Davison, Billy Sherwood (bass), Geoff Downes (keybpards), and Jay Schellen (drums) as the current Yes incarnation. Howe, once again, dominates the album (with his guitar, as well as primary songwriter and producer), but with better results than the previous album. The highlight of the album is the wonderful and beautiful title track, also being the longest song, at nearly 14 minutes, and featuring multiple sections, beautiful melodies, an orchestra, and classic Yes songwriting and performance. There are a couple lesser, more pop-oriented songs, such as the straight-forward pop-rock of Living Out Their Dream and the closing Davison ballad Circles of Time, but the bulk of the album follows in the classic Yes style. There is also a bonus disc containing 3 additional songs that is included with some forms of the album, which also veers more towards a lighter, poppier sound, but is nonetheless pleasant, although perhaps a bit too cutesie. Overall, a fine album, and although still cannot measure up to the greatness of their classic days, is nonetheless their best album in probably 20 year. Best Tracks: Mirror to the Sky, Luminosity, Cut From the Stars.
Rating: 3.5óMystery - Redemption. Mystery is a veteran French-Canadian Progressive rock band, formed by multi-instrumentalist (guitars, keyboards, bass) Michel St-Pere back in 1989, and with a changing backing lineup over the years. Their sound features a melodic symphonic prog approach with liberal doses of 80's AOR (
Styx, Asia, Rush, Saga) and 90's Neo-Prog styles mixed in, creating a melodic and accessible type of symphonic prog with slick production, catchy melodies, soaring ballads, and proggy instrumental flourishes. Their first album,
Theatre of the Mind, came out in 1996, and this new album, their 8th follows their previously most recent,
Lies and Butterflies (2018). The current lineup, which has been steady since 2014 consists of St-Pere, Frances Fournier (bass) Sylvain Moineau (guitar), Jean-Seastian Goyette (drums), Jean Pageau (lead vocals), flute, and Antoine Michaud (keyboards). Now, I have to admit that although this band has been around a long time, and plays in a style that is right up my alley (melodic symphonic prog), I was not familiar with this band before this album. But, after hearing several rave reviews of this new album in Prog circles (Prog Corner, Nathan on Shuffle, Prog Archives, etc.), I just had to check them out. And well, yes, this is a very good, solid album. It has all the things you expect from this style, and musically very well done. It checks all the boxes, as it has majestic anthems and themes, soaring ballads, virtuoso soloing and proggy instrumental intricacies, great vocals and harmonies, and emotional peaks and valleys. However, even with all that, it just didn't fully connect with me. It just wasn't quite compelling and engaging, just not something I can get very excited about, and I couldn't help but feel disappointed with it. For me, overall, it was a bit too much of the same old stuff, and just seemed somewhat generic Neo-Prog, too similar to other stuff I'd heard before. Still enjoyable, but there were no real surprises or 'Oh Wow!' moments. The melodies and themes were fine, but not stellar, and I just didn't feel the excitement or emotion of it, more like just going through the motions of creating a symphonic prog classic, perhaps succeeding, but not quite excelling. They seemed to be playing it safe, not trying anything very new or different, just sticking with what has worked for them before. It seemed to be like throwing in dozens of 80's and 90's AOR and Neo-prog albums and homogenizing them into a new album. After that first listen, I thought maybe I was being too harsh and it will grow on me after repeated listens, so I listened to it a couple more times over the next week, but still felt the same. I will say that the epic closing track, 'Is That How the Story Ends?', is great (showed more variation in sound and style, cool feel), had everything I wanted in an epic (19 min.) song and lifted the rest of the album up quite a bit. If the whole album would have been as good as that closing epic, I would have been very happy with the album. It is quite a long album, coming in at ~75 minutes long, and by the time I got to that epic closing track, I was already a bit worn-out, but that final track was great. Some of the other tracks, particularly the two ballads, Every Note and My Inspiration, just go on a bit too long, and could be cut sown. Overall, for me, I can only rank the album as very good, but still somehow disappointing.
Best track: Is That How the Story Ends?.
Rating: 3.5ó K'Mono - Mind out of Mind
Another relatively new band, this Minneapolis-based Progressive rock trio takes their inspiration from the classic 70's prog masters, such as
Yes and
Pink Floyd, but add a whole lot more into their sound. Featuring elements of space-rock, psychedelia, and funk sprinkled throughout, as well as some more modern touches in addition to their classic prog approach, which gives the band a fresh and lively style and sound. This is their 2nd album, following
Return to the 'E' (2021). There is much diversity throughout the album, as they can create something right out of the
Yes style songbook, such as Tell Me the Lore, but other tracks take very different approaches. On songs like In the Lost and Found and Answers in the Glass, they start by laying down a funky groove, then build on it and see just where they can take it, and they take them to some amazing places. Good-Looking seems to be their play for a more mainstream pop-oriented single, but still with their own unique spin. Overall, just a unique and wonderful album that is both somewhat familiar but also unlike anything you've heard before. A truly great find and certainly a band to watch going forward.
Best Tracks: In The Lost and Found, Tell Me The Lore, Answers in the Glass, Mind Out of Mind.
Rating: 4.5óKite Parade - Retro
Kite Parade is also a fairly new progressive pop-rock band (First album,
The Way Home was released in 2022), and is primarily the work of multi-instrumentalist Andy Foster, as the music and vocals are basically all done by him, just with some additional guest artists on drums ( notably
Big Big Train's Nick D'Virgilio) and some selected instrumental solos. Last year's
The Way Home was very well-received, and Andy seems to have gone even bigger and better with this new release. The album kicks off with a couple of slickly produced energetic pop-rock ditties that are good, but go on a bit too long for what they are (6-7 min each), but the album really steps it up with the third track, Wonderful, which is just that, a charming and beautiful ballad that steadily gains momentum to reach a soaring and majestic finish, and that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Wonderful vocals, majestic themes and delightful riffs continue throughout, leading up to the crowning achievement of the album, the closing 14-1/2 minute epic, Merry-Go-Round. Starting off with an atmospheric Pink Floyd-esque instrumental opening leading into the first vocal section and main themes, building into a musical tour-de-force, ultimately culminating in a soaring and satisfying finish that wraps up the album on a high. Overall, a very satisfying album (and succeeds in ways that the Mystery album just does not manage).
Best Tracks: Merry-Go-Round, Wonderful, Shadow Falls, Under the Same Sun.
Rating: 4ó BB’s Rating scale:
1ó – Terrible, torturous to have to listen to
1.5ó - Poor, not worth your time
2 ó – Fair, maybe a couple half-way decent songs, but
sub-par overall
2.5ó – Average, OK, meh, not bad but not that good either
3ó – Good, solid album, several good songs, but not
spectacular. Certainly worthy, but may not be something you come back to very
often
3.5ó – Very good album. Some stellar tracks, very
enjoyable overall
4ó – Great album, filled with great songs, one that you
will want to come back to over and over again
4.5ó – Excellent album, beyond great, superb in every
way, just short of a masterpiece
5ó – A Masterpiece, among the greatest albums of its
type, and has stood the test of time
Well, that's it for now. There are a bunch of other new albums released in the last few weeks that I wasn't ready to include here, but will try to get to next month maybe. There also were many other new albums I listened to, but just don't have time to get to or don't have much to say about. perhaps I will try to put some of them into an addendum of quick take reviews or something. Lots of great stuff to listen to. What are some of your favorite albums from this Spring? Let me know in the comments.
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