The latest album from Martin Springett’s musical project, The Gardening Club, is called The Insubstantial Pageant, takes you on a wonderful, cinematic journey through time and place. Once again, the Toronto-based, ex-pat, musician, illustrator and author has conjured up a conceptual, narrative-driven album full of musical diversity and range, alongside a roster of talented musicians, many of whom have collaborated with him on previous albums. I previously reviewed his 2021 album The Blue Door as part of a review feature with others on the Melodic Revolution Records (MRR) label.
Based on an idea from Martin, with lyrics developed by Steve Bennett, the story of The Insubstantial Pageant revolves around a young woman whose father left the family when she was young and disappeared (for years he was rumoured to have been a spy). She embarks on a world-wide journey of discovery, following various clues as she travels to many different countries and getting glimpses of this enigmatic, ghostly figure. The storyline allows the band to explore many different musical cultures as we follow her travels – creating a genre-spanning instrumental spread, along with an intriguing mystery plot, full of suspense. As Bennett perceptively states: “Imagine Grahame Greene, Eric Ambler and John Le Carre locked in a studio with Procol Harum and Steely Dan.”
Martin’s vocals and guitar work has crafted the diverse musical landscape complementing Steve’s evocative lyrics, along with producer, guitarist and keyboardist Kevin Laliberte and Norm Macpherson’s expressive orchestrations. Supported by Drew Birston on bass, and Rosendo Leon Arocha (Chendy) on drums and percussion – the lovely soprano vocals of Danie Friesen take us through the emotional sweep of the storyline. The music is progressive in nature, but informed by a range of styles, including folk, jazz, classical and ethnic elements, together with the group’s blend of instrumentation, poetic lyricism and the stunning visual artistry that Martin provides with the CD booklet artwork.
Ariel’s Song starts the album’s narrative in dreamy and ethereal fashion with Danie’s haunting operatic vocals, acoustic guitar lines and gentle percussion – very much the prologue to The Insubstantial Pageant, where the daughter’s quest to find her long lost father begins. Martin’s distinctive vocals, joined later by Danie, merge with the acoustic guitar-led, lush instrumentation and vocal harmonies, with the rhythmic tempo ebbing and flowing, creating a darkly magical atmosphere. The music continues in a similar vein with two ballads, The Grey Men and then Geneva ’46, as our protagonist follows the trail through captivating Cold War imagery, as Martin and Kevin’s guitar and keyboards intertwine over the undulating drums. The former has a languid, almost desolate feel, whilst the latter one gradually picks up the pace and musical depth, with nice atmospheric electric guitar lines, as we picture a mysterious scene that would not be out of place in the classic film like The Third Man.
Diary of a Grey Man draws us deeper into the story as we look at the scraps of an old diary to decipher the path that the daughter’s father took. Martin and Danie’s vocals mingle dreamily, with avant-garde touches, over Drew’s eloquent fretless bass and elegant orchestrated string effects. Valparaiso ’52 continues our journey as the story switches to post-colonial Chile – full of shadowy intrigue. There is some beautiful Spanish guitar patterns and misty harmonies over a more urgent, danceable beat, and Martin’s vocals seemingly enacting a police interrogation of a shady diplomat, out of step with the new world order. The chorus is one of the catchiest on the album and stays long in the memory: “Our city – our rules. Nobody takes us for fools.” We continue on our travels with the late-night blues/jazz of Chicago (South Side Story) which develops into a more funky, Steely Dan-like slab of soft rock, which provides a refreshing contrast – especially with some well-judged guitar and brass-like soloing.
After the engaging, mid-way interlude of The Insubstantial Pageant (Reprise), Looking For Lorca continues the travelogue as we reach Spain – with Kevin’s providing some lyrical flamenco-like guitar over a swaying gypsy rhythm. The lyrics express a feeling that the long quest for answers is more hopeful. The Hispanic influence continues with the sprightly A Sea of Emptiness (Cuban Sunset) before we arrive in the hot, arid, timeless vistas of North Africa, with Marrakech ‘64, with the vibrant sounds of Moroccan souks joining the atmospheric soundscapes and images of cream linen suited strangers with a Panama hat trawling through the back streets of the ancient city. The closing dynamic guitar soloing, siren-like vocals and resonating bass, work particularly well. You can imagine how much enjoyment Martin and the band had in trying the different musical styles as the storyline moved around the globe.
East Meets West (Berlin 1979) follows the trail to the shadowy world of people around the Berlin Wall, just like scenes from a classic John Le Carre novel – and the trail seems to be getting warmer. The music enhances the cinematic imagery yet again, complementing the lyrics rather than dominating them. Martin’s vocals do remind me of Andy Tillison of The Tangent at times, as well. A Long Distance Call has melancholic strings as the journey approaches the end, with A Return to the Park having a wistful, lush, orchestrated ambience with Danie’s soaring operatic voice, marking the end of the story on a quiet park bench. It’s been a long and varied quest for the daughter, both geographically and internally, but there is a warming sense of closure as the last notes play out.
Martin Springett has conjured up an introspective musical story as evocative as any of his famed illustrations with The Insubstantial Pageant, the latest album from his musical project, The Gardening Club. With a diverse, but suitably measured, musical palette of genres and styles complementing Steve Bennett’s lyrics, we follow an engaging story of a daughter’s quest for a long-lost father through the dark corners of the post-war world. Progressive in scope rather than prog rock in nature, there is much to savour in the layered synergy between the acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, bass, drums and varied lead vocals and harmonies. It is a refreshingly singular album that would please any listeners who value lyrically driven albums with thoughtful, nuanced musical themes. An album whose overall theme would make a wonderful book or film – but one that remains addictively captivating and cinematic in musical form. Dedicated to the late Canadian saxophonist Wayne Kozak, is this album Martin’s most ambitious and successful work to date? Quite possibly….
TRACK LISTING
01. Ariel’s Song (2:44)
02. The Insubstantial Pageant (5:49)
03. The Grey Man (6:05)
04. Geneva ‘46 (4:49)
05. Diary of a Grey Man (5:40)
06. Valparaiso ‘56 (5:45)
07. Chicago (South Side Story) (5:04)
08. The Insubstantial Pageant (Reprise) (2:33)
09. Looking for Lorca (6:27)
10. A Sea of Emptiness (Cuban Sunset) (2:12)
11. Marrakech ’64 (6:56)
12. East Meets West (Berlin 1979) (3:40)
13. A Long Distance Call (2:27)
14. A Return to the Park (3:06)
Total Time – 63:17
MUSICIANS
Martin Springett – Vocals, Guitars
Kevin Laliberte – Guitars, Keyboards, Drum Programming
Danie Friesen – Soprano Vocals
Drew Birston – Acoustic & Fretless Bass
Rosendo Leon Arocha (Chendy) – Drums, Percussion
Norm Macpherson – Orchestration (11)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Melodic Revolutions Records (MRR)
Country of Origin: Canada
Date of Release: 12th June 2026
LINKS
The Gardening Club – Website (Artist Profile Page) | Facebook | Bandcamp (MRR) | YouTube | Instagram
