Pattern-Seeking Animals have been a rather prolific band. Having released their debut album in 2019, these Spock’s Beard-aligned musicians have developed a sound that is all their own in the ensuing years. Friend Of All Creatures sets out to prove just how far they have come over the course of five albums. With a new label and an emphatically new approach to album art, the music on this latest disc is confident, exploratory and emotional. Friend Of All Creatures turns out to be the band’s best release yet.
Right out of the gate, Future Perfect World makes two points perfectly clear: first, Ted Leonard is quite a talented guitarist, and second, John Boegehold is a gifted songwriter and producer. While you would expect musicians of this calibre to have chops aplenty, it’s refreshing to hear them used in service of the song, which, in this case, is catchy as hell. Shifting moods within a song has become a Boegehold signature, and on this track he shines in that regard, seamlessly slipping from one sensibility to the next, and this band understands it intuitively. Jimmy Keegan is a drummer who exemplifies finesse in all he does, without sacrificing any of his power. Together with bassist Dave Meros, they have been at this long enough to almost telepathically lock into a euphonious groove.
Another great example of their connection is on the album epic, Another Holy Grail. Clocking in at nearly twelve and a half minutes, the song begins with a lissom electric piano and vocal introduction which drops off a cliff into a maelstrom created by Keegan and Meros. Synths and guitar handle the melodic duties, delving deeply into the symphonic side of prog. Five minutes in, the vocals take center stage, delivering a message of holding on in the face of adversity. For all the changes in mood and tempo, the song never feels disjointed. Grail’s instrumental coda is a highpoint, dynamic and full of orchestral grandeur, capping off one of P-SA’s finest works.
A couple shorter songs follow, each with its own distinct flavour. Down The Darkest Road uses flute and harp sounds to create an air of mystery, ably abetted by live violin courtesy of guest artist Eliza James. The music exemplifies the wariness and the weariness of walking a strange, foreboding path. Beautifully understated harmonies and layered vocals provide a light in the darkness of this otherwise sombre song.
The pace picks up for In My Dying Days with the combination of violin and reverb guitar adding another dimension. Insistent acoustic guitar sets the rhythmic pace, and Leonard lets rip a hot electric guitar solo. Meros even takes a turn on the organ for this tune, but for my money it is James’ violin weaving in and out of the framework that creates the real interest.
Synths and acoustic piano set up the swirling opening measures of The Seventh Sleeper, but the rhythm section reins in the keys for a bit. The chord progression performed on the acoustic piano is heartbreakingly beautiful, a reflection of the song’s sentiment as embodied in the lyric: “Outside the walls we hoped we’d find/The land of all the dreams we left behind”. The sense of longing is palpable in the loping musical passages, while the confusion and trepidation are epitomized by the changing meters. The third short song is Days We’ll Remember, its reliance on acoustic guitar a nice touch, enhancing the soaring melody. The song evokes seventies-era prog, but with a very contemporary edge. The chorus is grand, both vocally and instrumentally, with Leonard proclaiming…
When the pictures and words fade
Touched by times that drew us together
They will live in us always
The final track, Words Of Love Evermore, begins with ethereal, rippling notes that sound as if they were recorded underwater. Meros and Keegan turn the song around when they enter, the bricks inside the proverbial down pillow. Leonard uses his upper register to express a longing for someone “close to touch but worlds away”, making the sentiment behind the words jump from the speakers. I love how the focus of the song constantly shifts, from keys to guitar, light to dark, tender to insistent, vocal to instrumental. The song flirts with becoming anthemic, but never quite breaks free in that way, preferring instead to allow the emotion to break the surface without overwhelming the proceedings. It feels like it could have gone on longer, but the song – like the emotion within – pulls back.
Friend Of All Creatures is a magnificent album, full of stirring performances. The lyrics are a bit more impressionistic this time around, but that only serves to allow the listener to bring a part of him or her self into John Boegehold’s world, to live along with Leonard, Meros and Keegan in a wonderland of music that emanates from the heart, resonates with the brain, and requires talented hands to perform. Last year, I welcomed Pattern-Seeking Animals to the big leagues. This year sees them taking a big leap forward.
TRACK LISTING
01. Future Perfect World (9:42)
02. Another Holy Grail (12:20)
03. Down The Darkest Road (4:37)
04. In My Dying Days (4:42)
05. The Seventh Sleeper (8:14)
06. Days We’ll Remember (3:54)
07. Words Of Love Evermore (8:41)
Total Time – 52:10
MUSICIANS
Ted Leonard – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Dave Meros – Basses, Organ (4)
Jimmy Keegan – Drums, Percussion
John Boegehold – Synths, Programming, Mellotron, Guitars, Ronrocco, Vocals
~ With:
Diane Boothby – Backing Vocals
Eliza James – Violin
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Giant Electric Pea (GEP)
Country of Origin: USA
Date of Release: 14th February 2025
LINKS
Pattern-Seeking Animals – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp (IOM) | YouTube | X | Instagram
