In a year where there seem to be more concept albums than ever and backed by a couple of alleged psychological observations this is, in Sigmund Freud sotto voce, “Very Interesting”. The premise is thus: “It traces the life of…
View More Circu5 – Circu5
Back in 2014 an album arrived for review from Finnish composer, arranger and keyboard player Juha Kujanpää, and, as with many things unexpected, it turned out to be a rather pleasant surprise. This agreeable trend carries on with Niin Kauas…
View More Juha Kujanpää – Niin Kauas Kuin Siivet Kantaa | To Where My Wings Will Take Me
PFM had a career bunk up when Greg Lake introduced them to ELP’s Manticore label and Pete Sinfield’s poetic English lyrics in the late ’70s. Returning to Italy, the group’s output has been mainly Italian based until this new album,…
View More PFM – Emotional Tattoos
Okay, another crowd funder and another punt not heard. No idea beforehand but very satisfied with the results. I could end it there, that could be the review! But it deserves more, another sentence at least. The riff that opens…
View More I Am The Manic Whale – Gathering the Waters
Italian bass guitarist Lorenzo Feliciati, in between supplying the lower register for several bands from the RareNoise stable including Mumpbeak, Berserk!, Naked Truth, and Twinscape, has found the time to make his own records, the last being the highly engaging…
View More Lorenzo Feliciati – Elevator Man
I am, as any who knows me will testify, fascinated by new music in its many guises, and if something catches my interest I will seek it out. This album is one such example. I read about it on a…
View More Simen Lyngroth – Take All The Land
Two years ago I was pleased to discover the music of Swedish guitar player Samuel Hällkvist when I reviewed his Variety of Live. This current release Variety of Rhythm completes a cycle that began with 2012’s Variety of Loud, intended…
View More Samuel Hällkvist – Variety of Rhythm
There is something gloriously primal about this recording, evident from the moment the jagged edges of the otherwise chooglin’ pop moves of spiky album opener Dark Sleep Fortress rip out the speakers and tear at your consciousness. Don’t make the…
View More Inner Ear Brigade – Dromology
This rather fabulous box set contains every track that Stray recorded for Transatlantic over a five year tenure with the label, encompassing five full album, various B-sides and a few obscure rarities, generously spread across 4 CDs and with a…
View More Stray – All In Your Mind (The Transatlantic Years 1970-1974)
From New York City, The Knells do ‘art rock’ in their own inimitable fashion. It’s a deft mix of instrumentation and voices, the coup de gras coming from the latter, a fascinating trio of female vocalists singing in complementary classical…
View More The Knells – Knells II