Anthony Garone is a new name to me, but seeing that name praised by the likes of Robert Fripp, Steve Vai and Mike Keneally tends to make one want to investigate. OK, But Why? is his first full length album since 2007, and as such is a collection of ideas and songs he’s been working on for years. Some of them have no doubt appeared on Anthony’s YouTube channel, Make Weird Music, but here are collected together, spiffed up and given a tangible identity. OK, But Why? is mostly instrumental, but not entirely, and is basically a guitar album.
One of the first things you might notice listening to the album, is the King Crimson influence, which crops up several times. A song like Deathtrap for example has a very clear Lark’s Tongues feel. In fact, the piece was apparently written as a joke and not intended for public consumption, but when young drummer Owen Dueck took an interest and transcribed the drum parts for the basic track, Garone felt he should actually do some more work on it. The result is a heavy guitar workout with a manic riff, but with a beautifully crafted melody. This combination of complexity and melody is a hallmark of the record, and makes for a very listenable experience despite many ‘difficult’ moments!
The Fripp influence arises most obviously with a masterful cover of Erudite Eyes, a near forgotten song from the 1968 album The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp. While the original was a charmingly cheerful piece of whimsy with psychedelic tendencies, Garone reworks it in a slightly darker direction. The beauty of the song is exposed, and it is given a new lease of life.
Another striking element of this album is the stellar line up of guest musicians happy to help out. Several tracks feature the unbelievable rhythm section of Morgan Ågren (drums) and Michael Manring (bass), a pairing which sounds as though they have been playing together for years. They provide an organic foundation for the guitar fireworks on opening song Binge, which starts with heavily distorted acoustic guitar, and becomes a dense heavy piece, lifted by some great melodic guitar featuring Steve Ball. Manring’s growling bass and Ågren’s driving drums add to the density, making a powerful opening statement.
They pair up again on one of the highlight tracks, Harnch 2.0, which also features some fabulous fretwork not only from Garone, but also Gretchen Menn. The precision from both guitarists is very special as they pick their way through some difficult lines, some in unison and some separately; a joyful piece.
Things do occasionally get weird though! Three Legged Dog is a case in point, and is one of my favourite tracks. I’ve heard Garone in an interview claiming that this song is ‘basically simple’. Well, not to my ears! I guess it starts out as a guitar picking exercise, but it has a wilfully chaotic slant, and must require concentration to play. It’s heavy, and the musical equivalent of solving a Rubik’s Cube, but I love it. The guitar solo from Panzerballett’s Jan Zehrfeld is pure genius. Another slightly unsettling piece is Brex, where the melody is played on bassoon courtesy of Paul Hanson. It’s an underutilised instrument in progressive rock, and it’s refreshing to hear it on this song.
The variety and mood changes on OK, But Why? keep coming. My Garden is written and sung by Anthony’s father Tony Garone, and is an interesting piece with a lovely melody and lyrics, but with an underlying complexity which surprises. Young Owen Dueck plays drums on this, and proves himself more than worthy playing in such illustrious company as found on this record. There are also a couple of surprising reworkings of Bach’s Concerto for Violin and Oboe, the first and third movements. Whilst technically impressive, they aren’t particularly my cup of tea to be honest.
I will mention Pune though, which is a dazzling track so chock full of ideas and twists and turns it seems impossible that it’s only five and a half minutes long. There’s a Frippish intro, a Gentle Giant style a cappella moment with Jake Ineck on vocals, and a ping pong ball solo leading into a jazz fusion freak out. It’s a mini epic and quite mad, but glorious all the same, and it just about sums up this outstanding album of challenging but ultimately hugely rewarding music. It could very well end up as one of my top five albums of the year, it’s that good.
TRACK LISTING
01. Binge (4:13)
02. Three Legged Dog (3:49)
03. Deathtrap (3:58)
04. Dance (4:48)
05. Brex (3:26)
06. Harnch 2.0 (4:06)
07. My Garden (4:32)
08. Erudite Eyes (3:32)
09. Trust (4:06)
10. Pune (5:30)
11. Bach – Concerto for Violin and Oboe Mov. 1 (4:26)
12. Bach – Concerto for Violin and Oboe Mov. 3 (3:46)
13. Crush (4:13)
14. Tingz (0:59)
Total Time – 55:23
MUSICIANS
Anthony Garone – Guitar, Vocals (8)
Morgan Ågren – Drums (1,2,5,6 & 10)
Owen Dueck – Drums (3,4,7,8 & 13)
Sebastian Lanser – Drums (11)
Rob Müller – Drums (12), Bass (9)
Michael Manring – Bass (1,5,6 & 10)
John Landy – Bass (2)
Andy West – Bass (4 & 11)
Robbie Mangano – Bass (14)
Steve Ball – Guitar (1)
Jan Zehrfeld – Guitar Solo (2)
Tom Monda – Guitar Solo (4)
Gretchen Menn – Guitar (6), Guitar Solo (13)
Gabe Garone – Piano (4)
Paul Hanson – Bassoon (5)
Tony Garone – Vocals (7)
Daniel Shin – Piano (9)
Chris Misterek – Vocals (9)
Grace Guthrie – Violin (9)
Jake Ineck – Vocals (10)
Adam Strand – Keyboards (11)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: MoonJune Records
Country of Origin: US
Date of Release: 1st June 2026
LINKS
Anthony Garone – Website | Bandcamp (MoonJune Records) | YouTube | X
