DAVE BAINBRIDGE – On The Edge (Of What Could Be) (Album Review)

One common complaint I often hear leveled at the progressive rock genre is that there isn’t much originality anymore and that many artists’ releases sound too much like another artists. If that’s your complaint, I challenge you to give Dave Bainbridge’s new release a spin. While there are a few moments that remind me of some things I’ve heard before (and loved), the vast majority of this double-length release forges its own path and establishes Dave as a unique artist with his own thing going on.

For one point, there’s his guitar tone. Dave has honed a signature sound not only in the timbre of his instrument but also in the style he plays. Blending an eclectic mix of Celtic, progressive rock, folk, jazz, and even some ambient/ethereal moments, On the Edge (Of What Could Be) is a distinctive journey for the listener that requires multiple spins to take full effect. The invested time will be rewarded as the dynamics and intricacies of this recording unravel.

Much the same way that Kansas successfully used the violin in a rock setting, Dave’s former Iona bandmate and current Nightwish member Troy Donockley utilizes high & low whistles and the uber-unique sounding uilleann pipes to create a rocking Irish jig vibe that permeates this recording and delivers one of many elements of unique sonic quality.

Another excellent contributor featured on the record is Simon Phillips, whose punchy, boisterous drum sound is easily recognized and adds power and precision to a number of upbeat tracks. In addition, Sally Minear’s vocals present a signature sound that is fragile at times, ethereal in others.

Take the opening track, “For Evermore,” for example, which serves as a soundtrack to the descent of Bainbridge’s Narnia-like world. It is passage music, abruptly shattered by the opening of “On the Slopes of Sliabh Mis,” where Phillips thumping toms announce the listener’s arrival in a new place, and Donockley’s pipes carry an earworm melody that gets established, only to be shifted into “jiggy” gear as the band ignites into a rocking Irish swell. The music of this track, and several others, is cinematic in scope and conjures up visions of grand adventures soaring over majestic landscapes. Most rewarding to these ears is that the instrumental jam doesn’t sound like anything you typically hear, other than perhaps Bainbridge’s former band, Iona.

This is welcome news, as Iona also managed to defy all projected stereotypes despite being on a Contemporary Christian Music label. Bainbridge’s writing reaches into veins of different styles that magically merge into a Celtic stew that is spicy in spots and smooth in others. One can almost hear the joy that Phillips is feeling as he propels Dave and Troy forward on this excellent instrumental track.

“Colour of Time” conjures up the spirit of Yes in a more interesting and energized fashion than Yes themselves have managed for at least a decade. With a Squire-like dancing bass line and some very Howe-like guitar playing, what this track borrows in sonics from the past, it moves forward with vigor and spirit. Once again, Dave’s electric guitar tone cuts through the mix at his solo, climaxing in a “Roundabout” reminiscent moment that maybe loses a point for originality but gains a few more for excellent execution. This is one of the rarer moments on the record where influences dominate the songwriting, but it’s so well done, I wish Yes could still put out music like this.

“That They May Be One” follows with an introspective, floating vibe that highlights Dave’s capacity to “sing” with electric strings and create an aural landscape that is beautiful and majestic all at once. Strings float in and out, providing an underpinning for his soaring playing that is tasteful and tone-rich.

The title track, “On The Edge (Of What Could Be)” opens with some acoustic guitar that runs like a river, and Donockley’s pipes floating like a boat on the waters. The track rollicks into a chorus that has a pastoral Big Big Train vibe with some angelic background vocals, but this is more of a nod than a knock-off. It all seems to be building slowly into something more, which finally comes at the instrumental break at the 4:40 mark, where Dave’s sailing guitar solo dances for a bit before the tempo breaks and the track turns into a racing final minute of abandon that is glorious fun. I can’t dance, but this ending section makes me almost want to.

The aptly named “The Whispering of the Landscape” throttles the record back with a calm acoustic guitar interlude that is peaceful and poetic, offering shade to the previous light and cleansing the listener’s palate for the next sumptuous course about to be served.

“Hill of the Angels” opens with heavenly sounding vocals setting the stage for an exciting transition that conjures up the widdly bits of Neal Morse and the jazzy note choices of the Dixie Dregs. Again, these are slight reminders, not rip-offs, and the song melds into a suspended section that floats across a broad countryside of lush green foothills and cold lakes within the listener’s mind. Sally Minnear’s fragile vocals arrive a few minutes in to lightly tell a tale. This 12:30 track travels through a winding road of dynamics, with Dave’s angular guitar rising to the forefront with a sweeping, almost soundtrack-like melody. The track swoops down to the ground for another introspective section that eventually builds again to another raucous section that feels like the best of Jean-Luc Ponty in style.

Disc 2 opens up with a frenzied electronic keyboard patch that is the bed for another of Bainbridge’s soaring leads to some beautiful shared leads of guitar and pipes. “Farther Up and Farther In” gives Simon Phillips a chance to shine, which he unquestionably does. This is a great snapshot of the overall unique sound of the entire record, with all the elements thrown in the pot, and the musical virtuosity on display.

“Reilig Odhrain” is another 12+ minute track that is grandiose and dynamic, opening with a slow-building melody that gives way to a lilting display of Minnear’s light, layered vocals that evoke a “music of the fairies” atmosphere. This tune is another musical journey that passes through both dim and day, from calm to stirring to driving, and returns to resting all before mounting a final climax.

“Beyond the Plains of Earth and Time” is a suspended piece that is graced by a sad and introspective violin section that seems entirely written to tell a story on the big screen. It maintains a melancholy mood for what feels like a fairly long time with its plodding pace, only to be ripped open by the opening of “Fall Away,” another epic that clocks in at almost 17 minutes. Like some of the previous tracks, this tune travels through many phases of both energy and volume, testing a listener’s attention at times only to shift into a new section of renewed strength and direction. Dave unloads some tasty playing in the final minutes, showcasing his unique style that blends feel and flight.

The record ends somewhat as it began, with a vocal tapestry that serves as a return to the place from which the listener came before descending into Bainbridge’s Celtic Progressive underworld. While this record has a very spiritual feel to it, there are no heavy-handed Christian lyrics that would steer a faith-message leery listener away.

Dave Bainbridge has delighted crowds on Cruise to the Edge in his contributions to Lifesigns, and this mature record is another chapter in his storied career of merging multiple genres with a Celtic twist that doesn’t sound like anyone else. If you’re ready to get lost in some musical storytelling, On the Edge (Of What Could Be) offers a great escape to a fictional place I imagine you’ll want to revisit.

Release Date: July 18th, 2025
Record Label: Open Sky Records
Genre: Progressive Rock

Musicians:

• Dave Bainbridge / Many instruments
• Sally Minnear / Vocals
• Susie Minnear / Vocals
• Iain Hornal / Vocals
• Ebony Buckle / Vocals
• Nick Burns / Vocals
• Rachel Walker / Vocals
• Simon Phillips / Drums
• Troy Donockley / High & low whistles, uilleann pipes
• Jon Poole / Basses
• Randy McStine / Vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion
• Frank van Essen / Drums, percussion, violin, viola
• David Fitzgerald / Tin whistle, flute, saxophones
• Nigel Cameron / Whistles

On The Edge (Of What Could Be) Track-list:

1. For Evermore
2. On the Slopes of Sliabh Mis
3. Colour of Time
4. That they May be One
5. On the Edge (of What Could Be)
6. The Whispering of the Landscape
7. Hill of the Angels
8. Farther Up and Farther In
9. Reilig Òdhrain
10. Beyond the Plains of Earth and Time
11. Fall Away
12. When All Will Be Bright

Pre-order On The Edge (Of What Could Be) here