Origin of the Storm is Lee Abraham’s first new album in three years since the impressive Only Human album, and finds him yet again displaying his excellent and distinctive guitar skills in great style. Of course, Lee has hardly been idle in that intervening period, as he has been an integral part of Galahad who have released two of the finest albums of their lengthy career in the heroic tones of The Last Great Adventurer and the emotional impact of The Long Goodbye.
Lee Abraham’s solo albums have previously swung between albums characterised by more epic conceptual pieces, such as the Black and White and Comatose, and albums with shorter more focused songs, such as the Colours and Harmony / Synchronicity. Origin of the Storm seems to successfully straddle both approaches with only two songs shorter than 8 minutes, but only one piece exceeding 10 minutes. Whatever the duration of the song, what is always evident about Lee Abraham album’s is that every hook-filled song has great melodies, engaging lyrics and high-quality playing. Lee Abraham plays acoustic and electric guitars on all tracks, as well as keyboards, alongside his long-time drummer, the outstanding Gerald Mulligan. Additionally, Lee has recruited an impressive array of guest musicians and vocalists to help him express his musical ideas, including Arena and Pendragon’s keyboardist Clive Nolan who contributes a fine keyboard solo on the opening and instrumental track Origin of the Storm. Lee Abraham has described this opening as ‘uplifting’ and his fluid guitars certainly take this track virtually airborne as Gerald Mulligan’s explosive drums evoke images of a breaking storm.
In truth with the almost seamless segue into the second track, Origin of the Storm feels like an overture for the album or extended introduction to The Same Life, one of the best tracks on the album. This extended reflection on Putin and the tragedy of the Ukraine war is a remarkable piece, sung with great passion by the superb vocalist Peter Jones of Tiger Moth Tales and Camel fame. A soaring synth and drum fanfare plunges us into a distinctive and relentless Abraham crunching guitar riff, possibly echoing the chaos of war, before the song settles into a more melodic and sweeping style, perfectly underpinning Pete Jones’ voice. Lee Abraham has shared that the title and theme of the song are based on the observation that: ‘Surely Russians live the same life as us all, same hopes, fears and worries’. What is notable about a Lee Abraham album is that, even though he is a stellar guitarist, his songs are not merely vehicles to show off his fretboard skills – obviously guitars do feature to a certain extent but importantly the guitars always serve the song, and NOT the song serving the guitar. The Same Life is an accessible, flowing piece, perfectly intertwining keyboards and guitars in an engaging and memorable song. The impactful lyrics highlight the repetitive tragedy of war:
When he’s done do we learn, or we march on for more
Long time collaborator Rob Arnold plays some particularly poignant piano on a much more pastoral, quieter interlude, threaded with indistinct news chatter, leading up to an affecting guitar solo which builds from a subtle beginning before more fluently blossoming out. The Same Life ends almost optimistically on a musical roll with the simple but insightful and echoing chorus:
How can we put it right, just end all the tears.
How does Lee Abraham follow up such a tour de force?
Well, he goes in a completely different direction with gentle percussion and Rob Arnold’s piano taking us on a nostalgic musical walk on Chalk Hill. Lee Abraham has shared that he hopes that this piece showcases his ‘love of melody and feel-good songwriting’, and this ray of musical sunshine certainly exudes those qualities in great abundance with Pete Jones’ sensitive voice adding a touch of real class. A lush guitar solo from Paul Drew of The Studio rats accentuates the sense of looking back on the carefree sun-filled days of youth. Clocking in at just over 8 minutes one wonders whether such a straightforward piece may be a little over extended? However, that really is a minor quibble and for some it won’t be long enough!
Isolation / Disconnection impels the album in a very different direction with a synth wash overwhelmed by a very heavy guitar riff and furious Mulligan drumming. Lee’s Galahad bandmate Mark Spencer, also previously vocalist with Twelfth Night, adds sombre and suitably introspective words from the perspective of an isolated and disconnected person. He is more than able to switch from the more sombre verses and then crank up the vocal cords for the explosive riff filled chorus sections, with great bass from Alistair Martin, Lee’s band mate in the live Cosmograf band. A delicate acoustic guitar shimmers midway through the song before the storm clouds return thunderously leading up to a distinctive stratospheric Abraham guitar solo before the main crunching chorus returns – it all leaves you quite breathless by the end!
Lee Abraham has a great ability to write songs perfectly attuned to the vocal qualities of his guest singers, and he also has a great knack for attracting high quality vocalists to his projects. This is exemplified perfectly in the gently melodic opening to the environmental lament Hole in the Sky with the mournfully lush voice of Mark Atkinson, of Moon Halo, Riversea and formerly Nine Stones Close (there’s a reason he is in such high demand!) This fine song rolls along majestically with gorgeous acoustic and electric guitar embroidering this gentler ‘eye of the storm’ song in the context of this album.
The high-quality vocals continue with another contribution from Pete Jones on When I Need a Friend which Lee has explained is about loneliness and mental health. Pete’s sensitive vocals are well suited to this optimistic and uplifting song on the value of friendship in the face of depression. The lyrics are straightforward, but sometimes a message can just be clear and simple, and Lee’s anthemic music builds and builds, carrying Pete’s more joyous vocals before it fades away softly… a lovely positive song and maybe we need more of those these days.
Siren’s Song is a ten-minute epic clearly influenced by the classic guitar tones of Steve Hackett which Lee pulls off with aplomb. He has described this finale as a ‘prog journey into a mythical story of mystery and danger’ and it does indeed proceed in a rather stately and portentous manner with Marc Atkinson’s smooth voice intoning valiantly a story of myth and peril at sea. Many fans will love this classic slice of prog, although I am not sure the abrupt transition into a much more dramatic guitar passage around midway totally works. However, once he is in the groove Lee and his band mates fly along quite spectacularly and one can imagine a ship disastrously sinking, their crew called to their fate by the fateful Siren. Sounds of the sea return us to calmer waters as mellotron sounds and pianos float us towards one final soaring guitar solo very much in the beguiling Lee Abraham style for a heroic conclusion to the song and album.
One could almost become blasé about Abraham’s releases, such is his reliability, but the skill, effort and inspiration needed to complete such remarkably good albums really should not be underestimated. Let’s be clear, this stuff ain’t easy at all, and yet time and again Lee Abraham makes it sound so effortless, stylish and entertaining. His albums have become a sure-fire guarantee of high-quality songwriting and excellent musicianship, framed in crystal clear sonic production. Lee Abraham’s Origin of the Storm is another excellent album from an outstanding artist.
TRACK LISTING
01. Origin Of The Storm (4:20)
02. The Same Life (8:51)
03. Chalk Hill (8:09)
04. Isolation / Disconnection (8:51)
05. Hole In The Sky (5:11)
06. When I Need A Friend (9:25)
07. Siren’s Song (10:35)
Total Time – 55:27
MUSICIANS
Lee Abraham – Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Keyboards (All Tracks), Taurus Bass (1) & Piano (1)
Gerald Mulligan – Drums (All Tracks)
~ With:
Peter Jones – Lead & Backing Vocals (2, 3 & 6)
Marc Atkinson – Lead & Backing Vocals (5 & 7)
Mark Spencer – Lead Vocals (4)
Clive Nolan – Keyboard Solo (1)
Ken Bryant – Bass Guitar (2,3,5,6 & 7)
Rob Arnold – Piano, Additional Keyboards (2 & 3)
Alistair Martin – Bass Guitar (4)
Paul Drew – Guitar Solo (3)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: F2 Music Ltd
Country of Origin: U.K.
Date of Release: 21st October 2024
DISCOGRAPHY
– Pictures in The Hall (2004) – (CD-R originally only – now only digital)
– A View from the Bridge (2005)
– Black and White (2009)
– Distant Days (2014)
– The Seasons Turn (2016)
– Colours (2017)
– Comatose (2019)
– Harmony / Synchronicity (2020)
– Only Human (2021)
– The Origin of the Storm (2024)
As ‘Echo Rain’:
– Western Skies (EP) (2020)