Step into a vibrant world of progressive rock during springtime, where intricate musical landscapes and electrifying performances challenge the boundaries of creativity. These three album reviews aim to capture the spirit of a genre that continues to innovate and inspire, inviting you to explore its diverse and dynamic sonic adventures through the bands featured below.
Solstice – Clann
The most joyous band on the rock scene, Solstice convincingly proves that they can be reborn again (and again) throughout their 40-plus-year career. They happily transcend the “prog” label, with their music having as much in common with Edie Brickell + The New Bohemians as with Yes, and they deserve adoring fans from every corner of the rock, pop, folk, and world music corners as well.
New album Clann is the third and final chapter of what has become known as the Sia Trilogy which began in 2020 with the band’s current revitalized lineup. These three albums spread love, joy and good vibes throughout every cell of their listener’s bodies. The 8-member band (4 gents, 4 ladies) is unstoppable, combining mastery of their instruments with unbridled enthusiasm and rapport with one another.
Solstice’s new identity is powered by Jess Holland’s exuberant vocals, marvelously embellished by Ebony Buckle and Dyane Crutcher. Their voices light up every song herein, making for an infectious listening. But of course, the heart of the band always belongs to founding guitarist Andy Glass, who presides over this bounty of riches with generosity and the frequent killer guitar solo.
Clann picks right up where the previous album Light Up left off, nary missing a beat or twinkle in the eye. Opener “Firefly” instantly captures the imagination with its swirling synth line from Steven McDaniel and Jenny Newman’s glorious violin lines. It takes a bit of time to get to Glass’ mind-blowing guitar solo, but it’s worth the wait. What tone and tasteful choice of phrasing! The band continues to roll through one spirited track after another, from the lilting “Life” to the funky “Plunk” which delights in McDaniel’s percolating organ playing and – can it be? – a horn section taking us even higher. The rhythm section of Pete Hemsley’s drum kit and Robin Phillips’ low-end bass is always on point, supporting the other players with tasteful drive and power.
One wonders if the opening Crimson guitar riff of “Frippa” is cheekily responsible for the song’s title. Regardless, its choppy urgency provides some welcome contrast from the other material on the album. But it all leads to the closing 14-minute mini-epic “Twin Peaks” which lets the band stretch out with a more spacious approach, slowly building up the intensity with an almost-chanted “Come away, heyay, runaway, heyo,” as Newman’s violin soars above and Glass launches into a satori solo on guitar. As the piece develops it gets even more trance-infused and hypnotic. Even though there are fewer musical ideas present than a track of this length would usually employ, its repetition becomes its strength. Solstice wins again.
There’s a “CD Bonus Track” here too called “Earthsong” which deserves to be heard by everyone, as it’s one of the most entrancing pieces in this collection. This is a rerecording of an earlier Solstice song, but dare I say this is the definitive version that benefits from modern production and the current lineup. If you didn’t get it with the downloaded album, it’s worth seeking out. McDaniel’s vibes and Phillips’ bass provide a rich bed for Newman’s violin to play on top of before the vocals glide over top. Fantastic.
If this album review seems to be too littered with glowing adjectives, it simply can’t be helped. Solstice is that kind of band. A true treasure. They have found their place in the modern prog world and are apparently being recognized as such, having just won Prog Magazine’s reader’s poll for Best Band. Bravo!
Order Clann here.
Songwriting: 9
Musicianship: 9.5
Originality: 8.5
Production: 9.5
Red Bazar – Blood Moon
Any opportunity to catch vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Peter Jones in action is a welcome one. Red Bazar originated as a talented UK instrumental trio but added Jones to the mix after a couple of albums, paving the way for a rich collage of styles. Increasingly, Red Bazar has become a vehicle for the heavier side of Jones’ output, where he gets to shade his sweet melodic voice with more grit and swagger. Still, the band retains a softer more ambient side in much of their music, as well as including driving instrumental tracks as a nod to their foundation.
Blood Moon boasts several outstanding songs that shouldn’t be missed. Opening with arpeggiated classical guitar, “When The World Burns” is a lovely, entrancing piece musically, despite its foreboding title and lyrics. Paul Comerie’s spacious drum kit surrounds the listener as Andy Wilson’s electric guitar lines make the listener swoon. Even better is the 9-minute “Start Again”, where Jones’ smooth vocals shine, as the song’s chord progressions and arrangements sparkle with warmth and inventiveness. Original bassist Mick Wilson always delivers a fat, satisfying tone that hits the right spot whether on ballads or instrumentals. Unfortunately, after recording this album he decided to part ways with Red Bazar, so we’ll see what new bassist Roman DubovskiJ brings to the band in the future.
For the harder edge, “Fall On Your Own Sword”, “The Baron’s Eyes” and “Over” deliver plenty of bite with Jones transforming his voice to almost becoming a different vocalist. He even gets in a bit of growl in “The Baron’s Eyes.” Wilson launches into his skilled lead guitar attack whenever appropriate, but it’s in the instrumentals “Fighting Force” and “High Velocity” where he truly shines as the lead melodic instrument. Importantly, the instrumentals also provide a vehicle to show off how talented and tight this four-piece band is as a whole, each player locked in with one another and delivering an impressive performance for the listener.
Unfortunately the culminating epic, the title track “Blood Moon”, doesn’t convince that it deserves a 12 minute running time. Some of the sections feel a bit forced, and the entire album’s length of one hour starts to run long at this point, reminding that sometimes less is more. Despite that aspect, Blood Moon delivers plenty of reasons that this band should gain a wider audience. Check it out for a satisfying, diverse listening experience.
Order Blood Moon here.
Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 9
Originality: 7.5
Production: 8.5
IQ – Dominion
After a dozen studio albums spanning over 40 years, IQ claim Dominion with their lucky number 13. By now their legacy is well established, as well as their pristine sound. The band knows what they do and how to do it well. There aren’t many surprises on Dominion, just more of the classic IQ sound which has been refined over the past couple of decades. Their steadfast fans will be pleased.
One of the delights of modern IQ is Paul Cook’s performance on drum kit, which is expertly engineered in stereophonic glory. Throughout the album, it’s Cook who consistently shines, while enjoying continuing to play alongside his 3 original cohorts in the band: bassist Tim Esau, guitarist Michael Holmes and of course, lead singer Peter Nicholls. “Newer” member – having been with the band since 2011 – Neil Durant continues to impress on his wealth of keyboards, perfectly carrying on IQ’s tradition of symphonic layering.
This album is bookended by lengthy pieces which sandwich three shorter tracks. Although not a double album this time, there’s plenty of material offered and no lack of classic IQ moments. “The Unknown Door” opens with the gravitas of “The Road Of Bones” but its length loses some of the potency of that more focused comparison. This one takes more time to appreciate, making the start of the album more measured than the immediacy of the shorter tracks that follow.
“One of Us” offers a welcome acoustic respite from the keyboard-heavy tracks, Holmes’ fingerpicked guitar phrases matching Nicholls’ melody line. It’s a perfect, lite 3 minute respite which segues into the anti-title track of “No Dominion”, one of the album’s best. Esau’s solid bass provides the reassuring foundation for the song, so that Nicholls can do what he does best over top.
“Never Land” casts a different meaning than Marillion’s “Neverland”, and offers Nicholls a more emotional platform, though I must confess it’d be nice to hear him break out of his always-calculated melodic range and delivery. The final track “Far From Here” is a dramatic piece, feeling aligned with the glory of “The Seventh House” and providing a transcendent close to the album.
Once again, the production is smooth and flawless. While not breaking new ground, it’s impressive that IQ can retain such a level of consistency and delivery throughout this span of years. With a large number of live gigs awaiting in the coming year, this ageless band continues to reap the rewards of the groundwork laid over the decades.
Order Dominion here.
Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 9
Originality: 7
Production: 9.5
