Reviews

KLOGR -
Till You Decay

Valery 2011

CASE IN THEORY -
Cinematic

Case In Theory 2011

THE PROPHETS OF ADDICTION -
Babylon Boulevard

Deadlight Entertainment 2011

Don't you look at their cover picture and don't look up their pedigree: don't let their glitter image fool you, for this bunch join the dots between ALICE COOPER and THE RAMONES rather than pitching in THE NEW YORK DOLLS slapstick panto. There's the Devil in the details - a catchy piano lick in "Rejection", nice drums dynamics driving "Still Alive": cue the sensitive mixing by Phil Soussan - and there's depth which is not revealed from the off, when former PRETTY BOYD FLOYD singer Lesli Sanders and his buddies spit out their faux-immature angst and anger on the short 'n' spiky "Hang Me Up" and "Kick It In".

But once the quartet pull "Trigger", the bluesy wave comes on sweeping up all the emotional palette of the band and begging for an unplugged version to bare a vibrant core THE PROPHETS try to hide. In rock 'n' roll mode, though, the group chime with high velocity on Amit LeeRon and Rev(x)'s guitars that bolt from creating a hard-bouncy wall to going wild at a Mariachi-influenced angle, while their dense vocal pack is able to swing a whole arena and hook the most picky listeners with lyrical humor. It's hard not to switch on your stomp in "Alter Of Altercation", yet "Self-Portrait" marries its infectious riffola to a heart-(g)ripping melody. So one needs no prophesy to know that the addictive foursome have a glorious future.

Phil Soussan's exclusive comments: I have known Lesli for many years - in fact I produced an EP for them many years ago under the name CITY GIRLS BOYS. I think that Lesli has a great pop sensibility when it comes to writing and these songs are inspired by his personal journey through sobriety, something that may have killed him if he had not conquered it. I will always make time to work on any of Lesli's recordings. Some of the tracks like "Alter" and "Kick It In" really show his unique pop writing skills and the plan was to bring some cool mix sounds and textures without losing the hard edge.
The recorded basic tracks that they came to me with, although somewhat organized were full of options - many different guitar parts that had to be chosen. I find that in a lot of self produced projects, decisions tend to be deferred until the mix stage. I had fun mixing it, though, finding sounds that worked and building the atmosphere for each song. I was aware that this should not be too polished and I wanted to keep the attitude of the songs present at all times. Les came down a few times to check how things were going on and he really liked what I was doing with it! I think that his voice is so unique and lends itself to some very different vocal effects; it is always a surprise to him to hear these different treatments, but once he gets used to it he usually trusts me. I worked up the drum sounds and spent a lot of time on them, that was a challenging part of the mix as there were a lot of issues that were causing the bottom to drop out of the kit, some of the tracks came out really great thought, in particular "Where Are You Now" and "Self Portrait".
Overall, it is a really cool album that I enjoyed mixing - I was only sorry that due to their location in Seattle, that I could not be there to record and produce the album - maybe next time! Oh, and my personal favorite is "Mistress Addiction" - I love the idea of the kind of Stonesy pedal steel with the G n' R melodies!

****4/5

INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY -
This Is Not The Ending

Information Superhighway 2010

EMILY HURD -
Long Lost Ghosts

Emily Hurd 2011

AUTUMN BREEZE -
20:12 -
Glimpses From A Lifetime

My Records 2011

It's a beautiful idea to let off solo steam within a collective framework by releasing three suites that share the same theme, an anticipation of 2012, and the same length, 20:12. Which means there's no space and time for an ELP-like excess, and main writers of this group who came back after 30-year absence with 2010's "The Autumn Band" form their epics with ensemble ethic in mind. The first to deliver is multi-instrumentalist Gert Magnusson: adding acoustic guitar and mandolin to his regular armory, the veteran hangs his seven-part piece on a folky thread where his flute eases in delicate melange of male-female vibrato-tinged vocals that set the scene and step back and forth for electric tidal wave to wash away the anxiety with an ever-shifting rhythm. While Jan Warnqvist's piano zigzags between classical undercurrent and pop grace, Kenneth Halvarsson's bass anchors the tune which sometimes gets lonely in the rarefied air with a clear demo feel. It mars the otherwise impressive flight of thought and fingers, and the jazzy bit sound rather incongruous in such unpretentious context, yet there's much to like here and not be afraid of what 2012 may bring.

***

SI HAYDEN -
Supercharger

Silvery 2011

LEBOWSKI -
Cinematic

Lebowski 2010

VONDA SHEPARD -
Solo

Hotele 2011

It's one of the worlds greatest injustices that this singer isn't a household name even after having paid a weekly visit into millions of homes as a bar performer in the "Ally McBeal" TV series and having sold 12 millions albums under her own name, all that without mentioning the lady's work with Rickie Lee Jones and All Jarreau, her two Golden Globes and two Emmy awards. Her new album won't change anything just because it's so deep it requires all your attention, and the late night romanticism is a rarity nowadays. Recorded live in the studio and produced by Shepard's husband Mitchell Froom whose credits include Paul McCartney, "Solo" is as sensual and intimate as it gets, and to be private to such a wonder feels like a privilege.

She lets the listener in on a swelling wave of "A Lucky Life Interlude" before rolling her mellifluous voice into "Maryland" where contentment reigns to give Elton a run for his ivory-balladry money, while "Another January", with its low vocal tones, and "Soothe Me" stop short of gospel fervor - it's that spiritual. The timelessness of Shepard's emotions is outlined perfectly with her appropriation of evergreens "Walk Away Renee" and "You Belong To Me" where deliberate nasality ties the celestial to the earthy, and if the "baby baby baby" rise of "I Know Better" leads into a true heartache, it's a hint of cabaret irony that lifts the bluesy "Lose My Way" and blows optimism into the airy "Don't Cry Ilene" which splices pop sensibility to Rachmaninoff piano ripple. The feelings exposed here hit the nerve, yet "Baby Don't You Break My Heart Slow" would be a better rock anthem than wallow in these austere conditions and, thus, closes the record on a high - a healthy substitute for caffeine.

****3/4

MORAINE -
Metamorphic Rock

MoonJune 2011

There's always a shadow of sterility about art rock collectives' studio output, but then only few of these don't bend under the dirt they get on stage, and MORAINE belong to such a rare breed. Having burst on the scene with 2009's "Manifest Density", next year the band went all frontal before the choosy public of premium prog festival, and now the glorious results are neatly packed and topped with new compositions.

The opener "Irreducible Complexity" offers a crash course to the ensemble's inner mechanism driven by Dennis Rea's supple guitar - sharp 'n' hard one moment and soft as silk the other, its harmonic possibilities rolled to the fore in "Disoriental Suite" which imports his personal experience into the set. When the axe gets down to the riffing carcass, the melodic decorations come from Alicia DeJoie's electric violin and James DeJoie's sax, two instruments that run wild in live circumstances, to a great effect in the tense buzz of "Save The Yuppie Breeding Grounds" where omnipresent Eastern motifs shift all over rock surface. While the traditional foundation is bared in "Blues For A Bruised Planet", its 12-bar engine festooned in cosmic way, MORAINE's panoramic scope unfurls in "The Okanogan Lobe", its flight shot with rhythmic ripple underneath. But the subtleties hidden behind the assault are revealed in the coupling of "Ephebus Amoebus" and "Disillusioned Avatar" linked by a dub interlude which all the solo strains go asunder on the base of Kevin Millard's bass which keeps up the blistering float of "Waylaid".

An adrenalin-charged performance allows the listener to breathe exactly when it's needed, that's why it's so exciting. A sensation in the making.

*****

AGENTS OF MERCY -
The Black Forest

Foxtrot 2011

ANDERSON / WAKEMAN -
The Living Tree
In Concert. Part One

Gonzo 2011

Back in 1974, Rick Wakeman went solo when Jon Anderson's cosmic concepts became too heavy, but five years later the two shared their vision enough to leave their affirmative motherlode, although it took them almost three decades more to be definitely out of YES and join forces in a duo, not a band. A logical step, given both the singer and the keyboardist are great storytellers, yet that side of their concerts remains outside the expected scope and is to be preserved yet. This live document holds a big surprise, too, as it doesn't capture the veterans' acoustic performance and sees them in electric setup with Rick sticking to his synthesizers and letting Jon run the show. Which means there's more heartbeat than fingers figures on display, and that's what it takes to grow their common effort, 2010's "The Living Tree", onstage.

Delivering the major part of that album, Wakeman and Anderson build their performance around another, most intimate concept: "And You & I" for a start and "The Meeting" as a grand finale, where the fragile piano spreads a thin ice for mellifluous vocals to walk on. Quite an elegant effect might be slightly marred by an electronic phaser on the keys and, in the hoarse "Southside Of The Sky", it even jars but on "Time And A Word", when the players dive into the reggae shuffle, their inventiveness shines brightly, a "She Loves You" quote adding to the sunny mood. While Jon effuses majestic light in the stately "Just One Man" and lyrical "23/24/11" that breathe fully before the audience, an overall melancholy is outlined with Rick's role as accompanist rather than a fantastic soloist. That's what lends "Morning Star" its magical shimmer, even though it breaks a bit too awkwardly into "Long Distance Runaround" which is launched on ivories only to pick a guitar strum from another date - here's a downside of choosing the best moments. Still, the lucid "House Of Freedom" gently stresses the point of being unshackled and fly in the company of fellow romantic. On to the "Part Two" now?

****

ATKINS / MAY PROJECT -
Serpent's Kiss

Gonzo 2011

"Rescue me from my accusers", goes "Can You Hear Me?", the fourth track here, and there's a problem Al Atkins has to address. Those who say that the original JUDAS PRIEST vocalist rides the coattails of the legend he was a part of may have a point but they miss on the fact that he's a fine singer which is proved by this album, a joint venture with Paul May, a Christian rock guitarist with an impressive CV that includes work with such Brummie luminaries as Roy Wood. And this proof sounds so classic heavy metal one's teeth can grind on edge, but you can't blame the veteran for refusing to live his own "victim of changes" maxim, although "Serpent's Kiss" feels like a step back from Atkins' latest, "Demon Deceiver", as May, skilful is he is, doesn't push their chosen genre's borders. That's why the first three cuts, while pushing the energy levels in the red, especially in the rage of "Traitor's Hand", can test the listener's endurance before the drift gets more catchy.

The melodies slowly flow in on sharp riffs, yet in places, the vocals come somewhat detached from the instrumentation, but the dry rock 'n' roll "Fight" allocates all the elements to their logical slots, and Atkins' growl complements May's shred to a stirring demented effect as does its well-oiled counterpart "Betta Than Twisted" that lets in a lethal dose of air to breathe and swing. Still, the band's take on KISS' "Cold Gin" lacks life, whereas "Judge" makes a mistake of masking the blues in its foundation under viscous progressive smear. But in the epic "Theatre Of Fools" this approach is justified with the players' restraint and truly emotional delivery. There's a feeling the project's next opus will exceed their debut's limitations for the pair should try and shoot again.

***

SLIVOVITZ -
Bani Ahead

MoonJune 2011

Its arrogant title notwithstanding, this band's debut, "Hubris", brought on a slice of untethered joie de vivre with a clear Balkan air, and here the Italians pick up where they left off - invigorated even more and packing more, not necessarily hooky, twists into their crooked ways. "02-09" as breathtaking and wide in its aural scope - all instruments run amok while keeping their harmonious pack - as it is, delivers quite a different sensation to the title track's traditional dance; yet the knees-up gains momentum and turns into the high energy fusion jive only to get back on the muddy soil again.

Elsewhere, "Egiziaca" start things up in posh jazz way, guitar riffs lurking behind the brass that throws a subtle klezmer hint in before Circo Riccardi's trumpet flies into the rarefied, echo-mirrored space swung by Domenico Angarano's bass; then, the blues join the action for the ensemble's smile to beam out through their deceptive seriousness. But "Fat" is sad and brittle in its bittersweet flow, and in the energgetic "Cleopatra Through", with Riccardo Villari's to the front, all the faces are long. There's a feeling that the art, sometimes rather smooth where it could've been rough, took the place of reckless merriment, as the group chose prog rock direction, which was present in their oeuvre from the off, instead of folk one. The verve is still strong, it's just that some arrogance crept in now.

****

SMOKEY FINGERS -
Columbus Way

Tanzan Music 2011

MACHINE MASS TRIO -
As Real As Thinking

MoonJune 2011

When American Tony Bianco and Belgian Michelle Delville met in DOUbT to deliver "Never Pet A Burning Dog", it was an excuse to exercise their humor on the Canterbury soil in the company of Alex Maguire and Richard Sinclair; this time, though, both format and mood are different, and the drums-and-guitar axis is given additional textural spin by Jordi Grognard's reeds which paint the picture in melancholic colors, so vivid in the opaque "Knowledge" where the toms and cymbals weave a sophisticated pattern under the melodic flow. To outline such approach, "Cuckoo" crystallizes into focus on electric piano plain with glacial shards of percussion to ease in richly toned sax that keeps the elusive tune close to the ground - a promise to soar is fulfilled by a wildly meandering guitar which, after a burst of angular aerobatics, calls the brass back for a lyrical duet.

Still, "Let Go" is all the riffy rage, heavy and blistering, six-string thunder and blower lightning, the bass-spanking, while "Hero" unfurls rather traditional boogie roll yet the piece arrives sweet and adventurous in equal measures as solos are being passed around, with different electronic effects applied on its cosmic way. Yet the most muscular wrestling comes in the rarefied, yet tension-filled 18-minute opus "Falling Up №9" with the familiar, if unspoken, "number nine, number nine" madness of loops, abstract snippets of motifs and improvisations but with a solid view on the overall impression. Not far from that, "UFO-RA", tasty to its nebulous core, judders this otherworldly space in a jolly manner with a spotlight on a synthesizer spreading over the bristly rhythm section. There goes the titular material thought topped with the feeling that's as palpable. A little twilight masterpiece.

****4/5

WISHBONE ASH -
Elegant Stealth

ZYX Records 2011

It's been a steady rise to the erstwhile glories for these veterans who deliver their best album in years with "Elegant Stealth" which was to be called "Searching For Satellites", yet the choice was made for a more arresting option. The former title cut is there, though, a transparent ballad with a bow to the faithful fans and a universal appeal, while most of the other songs have a different kind of the band's trademark openness to them - accelerated, perhaps, by the fresh air of France where the record was created, as documented on the "This Is Wishbone Ash" DVD.

The familiar sound catches ear from the off, once "Reason To Believe" states the quartet's agenda in fine, streamlined style with a catchy chorus that haunts the listener as a "club mix" hidden track, while Bob Skeat's bass propels forward another dancefloor-friendly composition, "Big Issues", that sprawls to the rockier terrain as it progresses. The texture gets even richer on instrumental mini-epic "Mud-slick", which weaves DEEP PURPLE's Don Airey's heavy organ into the hard grind, and on the dramatic, dynamic "Can't Go It Alone", written by Pat McManus who runs his folky fiddle parallel to the double six-string sharp riffing, casting memories back to the "Argus" days. Here, and in the similar Celtic flow of "Warm Tears", the group impressively reclaim their twin-guitar blueprint from THIN LIZZY, as Andy Powell trades catchy licks with Muddy Manninen whose acoustic strum adds lace to many a moment like on the twangy love song "Give It Up".

Giving up isn't what WISHBONE ASH do, as proved by "Invisible Line" which picks up where "Persephone" left off to join the quartet's best moments' pantheon - and the album as a whole. Elegant, indeed.

****1/3

AGITATION FREE -
Shibuya Nights -
Live In Tokyo

Esoteric 2011

JON ANDERSON -
Open

Jon Anderson 2011

Save, perhaps, for "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" and "In The City Of Angels", Jon Anderson's oeuvre, with YES or solo, has never been an insular issue. It's always turned outwards, especially when the artist explores a long form... a shorter than "Topographic Ocean" anyway. Sticking to simpler songs as of late, recently he picked up his 19th century guitar to come up with what, essentially, is a mini-album shaped as a single composition available for download. Yet it's not a homespun strum only for Anderson engaged his friend Stefan Podell to orchestrate it and rhythm section to kick it in the groove, and the result is stunning.

The 20-minute piece swells up symphonic way, with a hint of Ravel's "Bolero" to evoke the beat of the heart of the sunrise until this angelic voice flows in to blow away any worry. It dances around the instrumental axis in a panoramic swirl, harmonies fluttering as butterflies while a guitar adds spice to the sonic picture. The tension starts growing once piano and drums enter the frame to shake it and then give back to the vocals and the strings before the reeds snatch the Hispanic buzz away. It ebbs to and fro the piece's acoustic origin but never gets down, if only for momentary silence from which the music springs to the skies again, now in a twilight mode that builds a scene for a fire-warmed festival which pushes the volume, and the mood, for the dramatic effect. And when the thunder dies, the bliss feels all the more pleasurable. An unexpected masterpiece and a triumph.

****1/3

PHILLIP
GOODHAND-TAIT -
Radio Songs

Angel Air 2011