Issue 2024-090
Big Big Train — A Flare On The Lens (Live In London)
CD 2: Acoustic Medley (Leopards, Meadowlands, Wassail) (13:56), East Coast Racer (16:13), Victorian Brickwork (14:19)
CD 3: Oblivion (5:52), Swan Hunter (6:43), Keeper Of Abbeys (7:46), Brooklands (13:24), Hedgerow (8:37), Telling The Bees (7:30), Judas Unrepentant (8:00)
The new live release from Big Big Train is a record of the conclusion to their The Journey Continues tour. Recorded over two nights at London's Cadogan Hall. The band have kept their sound vital by semi-regular changes in some of the musicians, some voluntary and, as any fan of them will know, by tragic circumstance.
So A Flare On The Lens (Live In London) sees Big Big Train now have their most cosmopolitan line-up. Making the band more multinational with a Swede, Rikard Sjöblom of Beardfish (guitars, keyboards, vocals), a Norwegian, Oskar Holldorff of Dim Grey (keyboards, vocals), an American, Nick D'Virgilio formally of Spock's Beard (drums, percussion, vocals), and their Italian lead vocalist Alberto Bravin of PFM (also guitars, keyboards). Alongside these are the British contingent of Clare Lindley (violin, vocals) and ever present founder and main songwriter Greg Spawton (bass, bass pedals). Joining them are the The Big Big Train Brass Ensemble and the sparkling guitars of Maria Barbieri.
I suspect that A Flare On The Lens (Live In London) will turn out a historical document of this live incarnation of the band due to the sheer financial burden of touring such a large ensemble in the current financial world. Which on the evidence of this release would be a disappointment.
As with all Big Big Train releases you get a superb mix that captures the live sound expertly. The set list was chosen from a wide range of their back catalogue with the focus on what I, and others, think is their best release English Electric Full Power, but that's a close call. Other songs are from as far back as 2009's The Underfall Yard up to 2024's The Likes Of Us. Discs 1 and 2 are the full set list from the second night at The Cadogan Hall. While disc 3 contains tracks played the first night that were not played the second.
Now I will be honest. I'm not a great fan of live albums per se. There are some I like, such as Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense, Hawkwind's Space Ritual, and the Akku Quartet's Live, where I don't get irritated by wretched sing and clap-alongs. There are sing-alongs on A Flare On The Lens (Live In London), but the sheer quality of the music negates them on the few times it occurs.
The musicianship and vocal harmonies are exemplary. Even the obligatory drum solo on Drums & Brass 2023 is short and energetic, with interjections of the Brass Ensemble. The lead vocal of Alberto Bravin just once in while are a bit gruff, but he does a sterling job making these songs his own. And the guitar of Maria Barbieri and the violin of Clare Lindley are superb.
There is an accompanying three-hour long Bluray film to go with the CD release, but it has not been reviewed. I prefer to stick with the music not the visuals.
A Flare On The Lens (Live In London) is an atmospheric capturing of a band in full flight through a cracking set of songs. If you are already a fan and enjoy live albums it's a no-brainer. If you are a new passenger (where have you been?!) this is a great introduction that would act as an enticing "best of" to investigate and start your own Big Big Train journey. Or if you want to read all of our previous reviews, start here.
Nick Fletcher — A Longing For Home
Anyone who has read my reviews of the last two Nick Fletcher albums Quadrivium and The Cloud Of Unknowing may recall that they referenced some of the absolute cream of international jazz rock and fusion guitarists. Anyone doubting that a humble lad from Sheffield is worthy of mention amongst giants of the six string such as Al Di Meola, Alan Holdsworth, Pat Metheney, John McLaughlin and Jeff Beck need only listen to A Pathway To The Hermitage, or indeed any of the other nine tracks, on A Longing For Home to appreciate that these are not comparisons made lightly. Over four albums (including 2021's Cycles Of Behaviour) Fletcher has set out his vision of modern electric guitar playing that incorporates jazz, fusion, prog and some simply sublime playing.
On this release he is joined once again by the phenomenal Jeff Beck drummer Anika Nilles who has bought along her favoured bassist Jonathon Ihlenfeld Cuniado to join in the fun. As Cuniado has regularly appeared alongside Nilles on her solo projects the rhythm section are well versed in performing together as displayed by the tightness of their playing. Keyboard duties have fallen to renowned Norwegian jazz pianist Jan Gunnar Hoff, who shows that he is no slouch when it comes to electronic instrumentation. The significant contributions he makes to the four tracks he plays on really elevate proceedings injecting spice and excitement to the already heady instrumentation with The Sage, The Monk And The Scholar being the best of the bunch. Caroline Bonnett also returns both in and engineering and production role as well as adding sprinklings of keyboards throughout. Finally, Olga 'Dikajee' Karpova adds the only vocals on the album with her appropriately ethereal wordless vocalisations on To Hear The Angels Sing.
The album is described as being "based on a concept about finding our true place both within ourselves and in the wider universe; a musical development of ideas that were heard on Quadrivium". As the album is instrumental it is, of course, musically conceptual but along with The Cloud Of Unknowing and Quadrivium form a trilogy based upon philosophical, scientific and spiritual beliefs. The opening two tracks, Satori and The Secret Of The Ascent could be two parts of the same sound, at least until Hoff's glorious Hammond organ solo in the middle of the latter track which could almost be Jon Lord in his prime. Nilles and Cuniado are perfectly in sync, in places adding a natural swing, that drives the pieces forward maintaining a steady basis that allows for the guitar and keyboard solos to take flight and return to the central guitar motifs. In contrast, Joy Turning Into Sorrow is a relatively brief classical guitar solo with almost baroque overtones. For the most it is just Nick's guitar but the final fifteen seconds or so features some twinkly arpeggiated keyboards that provide an exquisite into Sitting In The Sunboat. This piece is a joyous journey with Hoff once again providing an exceptional foil to Fletcher. The two work so well together that one hopes that their playing together is continued.
Her Eyes Of Azure Blue is a more reflective, even romantic piece that proves speed and attack is not necessary to create wonder. Very much in the Metheny mould, the guitar is perfectly complimented by the fretless bass which is even awarded a solo. The piece was originally written specifically for Hoff's piano playing but recording clashes and time constraints meant that the pianist was unable to fit it into his busy schedule. So it is ironic that it has become such a showcase for Fletcher's playing. If Cuniado had the opportunity to shine on the previous track, it is his rhythm partner Nilles who deserve the plaudits on A Pathway To The Hermitage. Not because the playing is anything flash or furious, just that it is inventive and has an entirely appropriate lightness of touch, yet would still be beyond what many a drummer could achieve. Fletcher adds in some fast and delightful guitar runs that are somewhat muted by the keyboards that to my ear are not really necessary, Bonnett's chordal approach being more of a distraction than an enhancement. But that is a minor quibble. However, Bonnett's contributions to the title track are perfectly apt. One is tempted to say the piece is very atmospheric but that would be a misnomer as it goes beyond the atmosphere becoming very cosmic! The first three minutes have an almost Floydian quality in the Wright keyboard soundscapes and Gilmour guitar sense until Fletcher takes up a solo all of his own style bar the short growl that ends the piece that is definitely something Gilmour has almost trademarked.
I briefly mentioned The Sage, The Monk And The Scholar in the second paragraph of this review, but it bears another mention given that it is a, if not the, standout piece on the album. All four musicians are at the top of their game, and it is no surprise that it only exceeds the five-minute mark by a few seconds as it packs everything into that running time, the heaviest piece on the album with not an iota of superfluous playing. The quality, and pace, is maintained on Crossing The Sacred Threshold which reverts to the more fusion style of the album's opening couple of tracks while closer To Hear The Angels Sing takes the listener away from the corporal into the spiritual. It may be an indication of a conclusion or a change, although one hopes that is not something that will apply to future albums as the last four albums have shown that Fletcher is not only an exceptional guitar player his compositional and arranging skills are of the highest level as well.
Inner Ear Brigade — Perkunas
There is a huge amount to appreciate about Inner Ear Brigade's latest release. It is without doubt one of the most enjoyable albums I have heard this year. Its melodies engulf the senses and its inventive complexity invigorates the mind.
I have always been impressed by Inner Ear Brigade's interesting mixture of Jazz, Canterbury stylings and use of Avant influences. Their previous release Dromology demonstrated how infectious their progressive approach to music can be. Just as in Dromology, Perkunas even has a tune that is sung in Kobian and indeed the influence of Magma both lyrically and musically is readily apparent in the wonderful Ecobio Curves which begins proceedings.
Ecobio Curves is rhythmically rich incorporating a tabla and a Jews Harp. the voice offers a great counterpoint to this rhythmic wash and when used as an additional human instrument, it works particularly well in this context.
In many ways, Perkunas is even more exhilarating than Dromology, and it is equally accessible. That Perkunas can glisten with shimmering melodic hooks that are easy on the ear, whilst still being a challenging and complex listening experience is quite remarkable. Perkunas is a wonderful example of inventive progressive music, it is adventurous and captivating in every sense.
One of the signs of a successful album is that time passes quickly whilst listening to it and Perkunas certainly does just that. It is an immersive experience and the album takes you on a journey that bathes the emotions.
It is not often that an album reminds me of such a diverse array of bands and artists such as, Frank Zappa, Magma, Madness, Slapp Happy/ Henry Cow, The Northettes , National Health, Gilgamesh, Aquaserge, Turning Point, and Rob Luft, but on occasions, Perkunas certainly does. Nonetheless, the compositions and the arrangements have their own unique style which is recognisably one that the collective players of Inner Ear Brigade have perfected.
There are several high points in the album and the excellent sonic qualities of the recording ensure that every subtle nuance is majestically captured. The performance of the musicians is quite special and their collective spirit and empathy shines through in the ensemble sections of the record. Nevertheless, there are many occasions when instruments are given prominent roles in the mix and are offered the space to express themselves, or solo slots that can raise a neck hair or two.
Notable amongst these is the sax solo during Earendel and the beautiful wash of guitar tones reminiscent of Rob Luft which conclude the piece.(Whilst referencing Rob Luft, I urge you to check out his recently released collaboration with Ellen Andrea Wang, Closeness II; it's quite magnificent).
The excellent instrumental piece Brood X also has several standout moments and features an evocative guitar sound in its closing section. Its shape-changing, jangling-jiggly, elastic tone is enchanting and drapes this richly robed piece with a memorable sheen.
In fact, Brood X is probably one of the strongest pieces on the album. Its opening rhythms and its insistent invitation to claw the cobwebs away and dance is hard to resist. How a band can invoke comparisons with both Madness and Turning Point in one tune is beyond my imagination, but Brood X by turns does just that, and it does it mightily successfully.
However, without doubt my favourite tune is the masterful Muse 2 Entropy. It is boldly reminiscent of something that could be associated with National Health. The ethereal vocal parts that flutter effortlessly in the higher registers simply reinforce this feeling. They are enunciated with warmth and heartfelt feeling by Melody Ferris and Madeline Tasquin. The piece also has some lovely languid instrumental sections that feature the viola. The strings provide a point of contrast and are used to great effect and give the tune an atmospheric air.
The vocal delivery of Ferris and Tasquin really enhance the tunes. Tasquin is the principal vocalist on several of the tracks. In Goblin Gruel Part 1, Tasquin's idiosyncratic and expressive voice in the chorus is at times redolent of the idiosyncratic approach of Dagmar Krause. It is this sort of vocal inventiveness that helps to make Perkunas such an enjoyable album. When this approach is blended with a sublime harpsicord opening and jazzy Brazilian party time rhythms, the result is irresistible. The concluding section has a vibrant and extensive trumpet solo.
Sumimasen is a delightful tune and its gorgeous opening is undoubtedly one of its strongest parts. The tunes hushed and gentle vocal delivery is just perfect for the subject of politeness. Sumimasen's sophisticated melodies and ear massaging pop sensibilities work perfectly. As it develops, there are several beautiful changes of pace where sax, guitar, and human voice work in a transcendent sort of harmony.
Main composer and band leader Bill Wolter's guitar tone is delightfully expressive in Sumimasen His contribution throughout the album as a sensitive voice in the ensemble's overall sound works particularly well.
Whilst Wolter, is the principal creative force behind Inner Ear Brigade, the role that the other musicians play is not negligible. Each player makes a skilful and outstanding contribution. The collective and connective energy of each of the performers is apparent in the arrangements of each of the seven pieces of the album.
Perkunas is undoubtedly one of my favourite albums of 2024. It is fresh, it is inventive, it is overall quite outstanding.
Robert Reed — Sanctuary Covered
The name Robert Reed is probably a household name by now as his musical mastery has been at the forefront of many projects and collaborations with a vast array of like-minded musicians for many decades. Besides releasing a number of excellent albums under his own name, he has collaborated with and been an active member of bands such as Magenta, Kompendium, Cyan, Chimpan A, The Fyreworks along with two lesser known bands, Erasmus and Trippa. He is also the founder of Tiger Moth Records which is a special music label that has allowed Robert to actively promote other bands and musicians who fall under a similar genre to his own. These would naturally include the extraordinary talents of Christina Booth (Magenta), Kiama, Les Penning and Tom Newman.
On Robert's latest album, he is joined by Terry Oldfield (flute), Les Penning (vocals), Tom Newman (guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, bodhrán, keyboards) along with the angelic voice of Angharad Brinn.
The songs that have been selected for inclusion on this album have all played a significant role during the period of Robert's earlier childhood. As expected, Robert pays homage to an obvious hero in that he utilises a similar guitar playing style to that as witnessed by Mike Oldfield. He has also used a similar style on a rather obscure track by Pekka Pohjola called Mathematicians Air Display. This was a rather rare album (for Australia at least) that I managed to pick up back in the 80s but since sold.
It is a rather eclectic collection of songs that, while significantly different from each other, are all fused together using Robert's stunning guitar style that needs to be heard and appreciated to really understand where everything fits. His treatment of classic songs such as Telstar, Scarborough Fair and the Theme From Dr Who are really quite exceptional but just help to reinforce the impact these songs must have had on him during his earlier years. The inclusion of three songs by David Bedford is also quite unusual as he was a rather obscure musician who never really reached the heights his talents deserved. His style converged between avant-rock and avant-classical so it is interesting to appreciate Robert's treatment of some of David's earlier songs.
While I don't believe this album will appeal to everyone, it certainly possesses plenty of variety with some subtle infusions of uniqueness, courtesy of Les, Tom and Terry. The traditional style of playing that guitar maestro, Mike Oldfield, was famous for has been carefully re-created here to not only emulate the master himself but to give these new pieces, their own identity. The accompaniment with keyboards also helps to add dimension to the songs where they are featured and which helps to ensure the album flows evenly throughout. While not a masterpiece in the traditional sense of the word, I have nevertheless been seriously impressed with just about everything that Robert has released during his career. This album is certainly no exception and is well recommended.
Svynx — This Is Not Art
Svynx describe themselves as "powerprog made in Cologne". The duo of Tobias Lübbers (guitars, keys, vocals) and Wolle Füßenich (drums) with the bass provided throughout by guest Manuel Estrada. They play song focussed heavy, fierce art-rock with a punk and post-punk energy and attitude.
Their eighth release This Is Not Art is a melodic clash of electronica, synths and often brutal riffs that veer more towards the post-punk Killing Joke and even the industrial rock of Einstürzende Neubauten though with a progressive invention added in. The songs' melodies are hooky and arranged well especially the use of synths and dark-wave electronics which are present from the opening Art Won't Save Me Now's bow wave of noise assault. Though the openers use of Vocoder makes me cringe in the same way the sitar does, sorry a purely personal dislike.
Synth bass and a great guitar solo further lifts the energetic madness of Follow Me. The Vocoder makes a return on Harvest Season, sigh. Svynx take a breather with the strings, hand-claps and feedback guitar of Feed Me. Then Europa bursts through with metal riffs before pulling back for the songs hard-hitting political message. Never At Ease seems, if my ears are working, to channel the melody from Deep Purple's deeply irritating Child In Time. The closing Alexandria returns to the fierceness that is Svynx's trademark.
Overall, Svynx's This Is Not Art is a breathless and headlong rush of punky power meshed with art-rock keys with enough contrasts to keep ones interest. The sometimes dense mix may be doing this music a disservice, and it takes a while to see clearly sometimes what Svynx are about. This Is Not Art is a good challenging listen.
Vögel — Kallið
If you enjoy extreme music but with plenty of lighter, progressive moments (and if you are not averse to some death vocals) then this mini-album may be worth your time.
This Icelandic quartet debuted in 2019 with a full album entitled Ómstrð. So they have taken their time on delivering these four new, lengthy compositions.
The piano-led intro does just that; it delicately warms up your ears for the blast-beats and fast-strummed guitar of Söngur Raddanna. There are some good guitar leads, but it's rather generic death metal à la Dark Tranquility, until a sudden change of mood in the mid-section hints that this is a band with something to say. But we quickly return to the blast-beats and growls. It's a release-and-build-and-release exercise in a post-rock sorta way. Not sure the two ideas work together or compliment each other.
Flæðisker offers another transition. Gentle, plucked guitars and clean vocals. It's like Opeth in their most tranquil moments. But then it's straight into blast-beats and growls again. The contrast is too sudden. The next blend into a modern prog-rock mood (with growls) works better. As does the return to the opening theme. The blending doesn't always work for me but there are some much better ideas in this track.
Móðir Jörð opens with the sound of latter-day Wolverine. The death growls again follow (and the blast-beats) but the clean vocal section that follows is much more effective (as are the drum patterns). There is some lovely guitar work to enjoy too. The Opeth atmospheres and grooves are evident throughout. The best song yet.
The title track goes one further and even includes a bit of jazz-bar piano alongside more lovely guitar work. Nothing generic here and the blends and transitions work really well. A case of saving the best to last.
Overall it feels like this is a band still finding its own sound. It may just be my dislike of pure death metal, but for me the final two tracks offer far more interest than the first two. I feel they still need to bring in a few more of their own signature sounds to avoid too many comparisons with Opeth, but there is clear talent and potential here.
Vola — Friend of A Phantom
The four-piece Swedish/Danish prog-metal band Vola have just released a new studio album entitled Friend Of A Phantom. It comes three years after their last studio album, Witness. Not to be forgotten is the excellent Live At The Pool, released in 2022, in which Vola used a disused swimming pool in Copenhagen to record a live album.
The follow-up, Friend Of A Phantom proves to be a defining point in Vola's progress. It measures up to the bands growing success with the release of their fourth studio album. They have released four singles from it, the first being Paper Tiger, followed by Break My Lying Tongue, and I Don't Know How We Got Here. The final single Cannibal, with Anders Fridén from In Flames, is given the opportunity to share vocals and growling on a very aggressive track. The album has nine tracks and at just over forty minutes, the length is a little disappointing.
The first track is the explosive Cannibal, which in my view is the standout track on the album. From the word go, it is relentless.
Starting with synths and maintaining it throughout the track, Break My Lying Tongue has a catchy melody and is very heavy throughout the track. In the same league is Paper Wolf: a nice melody that is heavy and layered in production. We Will Not Disband opens softly as do most of the tracks. This track mixes soft guitar work with melody and a very heavy riff. This mixing the heaviness with a soft melody also applies to Bleed Out. The lyrics of the latter, though, let the side down.
Glass Mannequin offers the listener some respite from the high energy, nicely put at roughly the middle of the playing time. Later on, I Don't Know How We Got Here does the same with its soft and melodic approach. Closers Hollow Kid and Tray close the album in a very Vola way, and in both a nice vocal arrangement stand out.
It is difficult to slot Vola into a specific genre, but it is clear that the music combines progressive rock, electronic rock with synth and djent. Among their influences are clearly Devon Townsend, Opeth and Meshuggah. Vola have again delivered the goods. From the explosive opening track Cannibal, the standout track on the album, to softer tracks such as The Glass Mannequin, the album is a grower. Just because Vola have incorporated soft melodies, Friend Of A Phantom is by no means inferior to their previous output. This is an excellent album encompassing a broad range of tracks that won't disappoint and are deserving of your full attention.