Moth Vellum - Moth Vellum (2008)
Now and then we take a look back at one of the reviews from our ever-growing archive to see if the album has stood the test of time. We did a series of this in 2015, when DPRP had its 20th anniversary, and this series was first published on a dedicated blog, thearchivesofprog.blogspot.com. We did a series like this in 2018, when we had done 20 years of album reviews, under the title 20 Years Of Reviews.
So now the clocks have changed to Daylight Saving Time, at least here in the northern hemisphere (apologies to our antipodean readership). The extra daylight always makes me look for this album on my CD shelves. I play it as part of the soundtrack to my summer.
Moth Vellum were a four-piece band based in California. They were Johannes Luley's band before he formed the well-regarded Perfect Beings. Moth Vellum's music is brimming over with sunny, summery melodies and pin-sharp vocal harmonies. There is nothing dark or heavy here, just a lot of joyfulness. They are not innovators, but they use the classic 70s prog models so well that it really doesn't matter. Superb guitar and synth sounds make playing the spot the reference game a pleasure. If you are missing a happy Genesis and Yes influenced album to play on long summer days, then have a listen to Moth Vellum's overlooked retro-gem.
From the archives read Geoff Feakes' 2008 review. Read Geoff's review here.
Listen to the album on You Tube. Listen to the album here.