Issue 2024-093
Beardfish — Songs For Beating Hearts
When I started reviewing for DPRP my first task was to cover the Symforce Festival in September 2007. At that time Beardfish was hot and happening because of their album The Sane Day, and they just released Sleeping In Traffic: Part One. As it sometimes happens with festivals Beardfish ended up playing in a very small closet like room that was way too small. I ended up seeing them partly because it was very crowded with a lot of tall people in front of me. After fifteen minutes the fire alarm went off and when we realized it was false there was no way of getting back in. A few years later I saw Beardfish again and they blew me away.
Their progressive rock was refreshing, energetic, at times serious and at times filled with humor. Some songs ended up being over fifteen minutes with many lengthy solos and some songs were more standard format and duration. Albums ended up as a double album or spread over two releases and songs ended up in parts, but that is the way it is done in progressive rock. Their early work contained a lot of funny/frantic ditties and humorous lyrics. Later on, they started to become more serious, no more songs about ballroom dancing or Gad-about-Garth. In 2016 Beardfish split up but in 2023 they reformed with the line-up that has been steady since 2003. And now we have this new release Songs For Beating Hearts.
Songs For Beating Hearts starts with Ecotone, a very nice song and I immediately feel the warmth of the familiar Beardfish sound. Out In The Open is split into five parts. It starts with some ditties that Beardfish is known and loved for. The music is still melodic but with more complexity than standard music. Within the five-part song there is a reprise of an earlier part so we end up with a nice epic song of almost twenty minutes nicely cut into digestible parts.
Beating Hearts is more soulful at the beginning but halfway during the song the music becomes more, how shall I put it, Beardfish-like. In The Autumn, which was released as a single, introduces Amanda Örtenhag on vocals. It's a very nice song and probably the most accessible one on the album. At the same time it is still very Beardfish. Many easy-listeners will probably get lost in the changes.
Beardfish has their own distinctive sound, and they are known to push their boundaries. Torrential Downpour, while very distinctively Beardfish, is almost like a Beardfish version of music suitable for a western film. I really like how they surprise every time but still sound very familiar within their own Beardfish sound. Ecotone already had a small instrumental reprise on this album but at the end there is a bonus version with a subtitle translating to "northern lights 1982". Founding member Rikard Sjöblom was born in 1982. Whatever it is, it has a great electronic 80s sound with the Ecotone tune as a building block.
Important news is the fact that Beardfish is back. Also important news is the fact that Songs For Beating Hearts is a wonderful album to return to the active playing status. If you never heard of Beardfish then this is a great album to start and if you already know them then this is a great album to continue. So either way, the conclusion is to listen to this album. If you like any type of progressive rock then you will like Songs For Beating Hearts. Good to see Beardfish is back and I hope to see them live again very soon.
Fuchs — And Once Again (Welcome Max Paul)
Where some album concepts take ages to fathom, the thought behind this EP is downright easy. It welcomes new vocalist Max Paul who has recently replaced Baggi Buchmann. And includes four completely or partially re-recorded compositions featuring Paul's vocals. To make it even more interesting the CD version of the EP also includes a bonus solo track by Paul. And at almost 40 minutes duration comes at a very welcoming admission price.
For the EP Hans-Jürgen Fuchs has chosen four titles from each of Fuchs' so far released studio albums. So besides the introduction of Paul, one at the same time gets a fine impression of Hansi Fuchs' evolution in songwriting. Which is a song crafting lesson well worth attending as evidently shown in opener Don't Think About. Taken from Fuchs' 2012 debut Leaving Home this beautifully arranged and subdued performed composition is highlighted by lovely slide guitar melodies. And on a whole conveys a stylish pop influenced neo-prog connection with Eloy and Starfish 64 in which the psychedelic elements are perfectly accompanied by Paul's soothing voice of assurance.
In The Scent And Warmth (Prologue Part 2), a composition dating back to Fuchs' second album The Unity Of Two. Paul's voice comes perfectly into its own and at the same time blends enchantingly into to the pristine harmonies that this song thrives on. In the piano guided bridge he also through the emotion in his voice creates a wonderful momentum of tangible fragile beauty, which makes this harmoniously executed T and Marillion reminding composition even more rewarding.
In the dreamy symphonic neo-prog of Sleepwalking Man, a song from Station Songs which envisions both IQ and Genesis, Paul's voice also falls perfectly into place. As it does in the final revisited composition And Once Again. Already selling Germany by the Deutschmark on Too Much Too Many in terms of Genesis attractiveness, this song as before excels in musical performances, arrangements and melodies akin to Yes and The Flower Kings. And now shows an even greater Genesis enchantment thanks to the wonderful emotional voice authenticities of Paul.
The finest illustration towards the sensitive warmth and emotional vulnerable depth of Paul's voice is the beautiful Modern Times. Intricately guided on piano and thoughtful reflecting lyrically upon our present day, this moving composition has all the melancholic hallmarks of classic era Barclay James Harvest and The Beatles. To such an extent that if someone had stated this wonderful touching composition to actually be an undiscovered John Lennon gem I imagine myself to have believed it 100%. No questions asked.
If Paul is able to also bring this high level of emotional impact into the many songs that Fuchs intends to record in future, and I can see no reason as to why not, then Fuchs followers and fans of elegantly designed and sophisticated executed neo-progressive rock have a lot to look forward to.
For those interested towards these developments it is good to know that Fuchs will premiere a new song during their supporting gigs for Mostly Autumn at Rüsselheim and Oberhausen in March 2025. Based on that knowledge and this beautiful and highly recommended EP outcome all the more reason to attend if you have the opportunity. So get your tickets here!
Infringement — Black Science And White Lies
The end of 2024 keeps bringing more concise prog releases to my table – and I can't be happier than I am about that. Next to a great release by The Windmill come their Norwegian compatriots Infringement with a third output Black Science And White Lies - and yes, the two bands share the same member, Stig Andre Classon on the guitar, who seems to be the master of disguise, equally fitting the two very dissimilar bands. Whereas, The Windmill leans on soft and rather conservative sound (though maintaining impeccable taste), Infringement features a very different approach altogether, being quite modern – and even post-modern! – in their approach to music.
While a number of reviewers elsewhere pointed the band's ties to neo-prog, I should say that the observation is justified only to the extent that one can relate bands like Discipline and Phideaux to the genre. In other words, Infringement embraces neo-prog theatrics – but not its pathos. On the contrary, the concept behind BS&WL circles around a rather ironic narrative – easily distinguishable on the opening track Doctrine , featuring a deliberately awkward preaching voice. The balance between drama and irony is the tightrope that the band nonchalantly strolls during the entire playtime. Love the idea? Then onwards to Bandcamp and press play!
The album is divided into two multi-track “mammoths” – not precisely symphonies, more like two parts of the same tale, predictably titled White Lies and Black Science. I won't make a lot of spoilers, just mention that the story follows tribulations of a modern prodigal son, though with many shifted accents as compared to the original parable, and mostly focusing on protagonists own feelings and observations. Infringement do wrap the story well into less than 45 minutes of music, with a very tight journey through the hills and valleys of sounds. Unlike many good albums, the album's start is not overtly convincing. Debasement has great sections of overlaid vocals and hard-hitting, almost Tool-influenced atmosphere, but also a rather annoying “oh mother, forgive me” refrain that feels too much in-your-face and overshadows the good sections of the track.
However, as the track is past its first half, a listener finds oneself in modern prog heaven. The rest of the first chapter (Apostasy-Devolution-Heresy) reminded me of Pain Of Salvation in their peak form, with an incredible ability to merge heaviness of alternative metal, emotional atmospheric parts, vocal counterpoints (Gentle Giant / Neal Morse lovers, this one especially for you), roar of Emerson-ian Hammond organ and bold, convincing, out-of-the-box musical thinking. I especially loved the way the drummer shifts from simple effective rhythms to complicated parts with missed beats and shifting tempos to underline the musical ideas, and the keyboard phrases are equally great.
The second chapter is smoother, more relaxed but no less eccentric, coming somewhat closer to IQ brand of neo-prog (see for instance, Conjugation where the vocalist almost mimics Peter Nichols' intonations, probably unintentionally). It also features larger instrumental sections, equally creative, but more vast and kaleidoscopic in the good-old-prog sense, like in Evolution and Crimson Skies.
My task is to review the album, not to sell it, but if I were on an SMM payroll for Infringement, I would describe the release as Pain Of Salvation meets Phideaux, or – even more accurately - A.C.T. (rather overlooked, but still great project from Sweden). This rings just right in terms of how easy the band shifts between different styles and mixes prog classics with less obvious ideas. Black Science does not really go to uncharted territories, but it definitely makes the eclectic sound as natural as breathing.
Recommended, no holds barred.
Oddleaf — Where Ideal And Denial Collide
This is the album that is currently sitting at the top of the "prog-rock bestsellers" tumulus on Bandcamp. It's ahead of new albums from Weather Systems, Anubus and Meer. All of these I have enjoyed this year. So order placed. A nicely-illustrated, double-gatefold CD promptly arrives. Three weeks to explore its contents. Here are my thoughts.
Where Ideal And Denial Collide is the debut album from French quintet Oddleaf. There are four long-form pieces of richly-layered prog which proudly showcase the timeless tropes of the godfathers of the genre (Camel, King Crimson, Yes, UK). But like all the best French artisan craftsmen, Oddleaf have infused the historic recipes with influences from the contemporary scene (Wobbler, Big Big Train, Anekdoten and Haken).
There are bold strokes of vintage keyboards everywhere (Mellotron, Hammond), some exotic blushes of electronic and acoustic flute, and perfectly-placed four-part vocal harmonies to underpin the powerful singing of Adeline Gurtner.
The music has been composed by keyboardist Carina Taurer. It is comfortingly retro, but invigoratingly fresh and inventive as well.
The album has a cohesiveness that is rare for a debut album. It stands both as a concept album and a collection of stand-alone songs.
On the whole there is enough weighty keyboard sections to file this under "heavy-prog". Yet there is an equally strong folksy taste thanks to the frequent departure to more spaciously-acoustic sections where flute and piano lead the way. Gurtner's vocal patterning and tone also mirrors that of the many female singers who have graced folk-prog bands ever since the 60s. Lyrically, too, the album centres on ecological and humanistic themes. It speaks to me as an ode to the majesty of nature (and occasionally dragons!).
My favourite track is the shortest song (save the intermezzos). Ethereal Melodies has everything I need in modern progressive rock. Elsewhere, I would like more memorable melodic lines (instrumental or vocal) to tease out the replay button for the three longer songs. They are beautifully-crafted but quite technical, especially the closing 11-minute instrumental.
I prefer things to be a little more song-focussed. Those who don't demand such mundanities can easily add another point to my score.
Overall there is little doubt that this debut album will establish Oddleaf as one of the most promising prog-rock bands of 2024. I expect the name to appear in many people's Best of Year lists. Chapeau!
Tributes — Songs For Neil Volume V
Rushfest is an annual fan convention in Scotland celebrating the music of Canadian band Rush. Each year an album is released with covers of Rush songs played by tribute bands. Tribute bands, love 'em or hate 'em. I know not everyone likes tribute bands but fact is that they are very popular. For some venues the money earned on these evenings can be spent on new talent. It will not be a first time that I have seen a band perform as a tribute band and a week later playing the same venue with their own material, sadly in front of a smaller crowd.
So love em or hate em. I do occasionally like to see a tribute band, especially if they pay tribute to a band that does not exist or does not play live any more. This collection is already Volume number 5. It contains 25 songs by 24 different Rush tribute bands. I browsed through all five volumes and concluded there are a lot of Rush tribute bands. This Rushfest organization for sure brought together a huge amount of those bands.
It is not only a huge variety of performers but also the songs range from the early work up to more recent Rush releases. At first spin I was a bit underwhelmed and I immediately reached out to my Rush albums to hear the original. If you put the original Rush songs in a playlist then it does not sound the same either because the sound of Rush evolved and changed a lot over time. To hear it played by different performers was a bit too much for me in the beginning. After a few spins of this tribute release I started to enjoy it more and more. Most songs are played in the original style but on an occasional song they gave the song a twist. The album ends with A Toast To Neil and a performance of Pat Jean (Trilogy) playing a drum solo.
It is an interesting experience to hear a variety of tribute bands play the music of Rush. It took me some time to get into the concept but after a few spins I started to like the album. I listened to some other volumes and also heard some very interesting stuff in these releases. So if you are a Rush fan then these volumes are a nice find and if one of these bands is playing close to your home then you go and see them. Of course these releases make you want to listen to the original recordings by Rush but that is a good thing. You can never hear too much Rush music.