One of the great legacies of English prog rock is its continuing additions to its anthology of albums at whose heart is the storyteller’s art. Jethro Tull, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Marillion and many others have all delivered great collections all with a central storyline and in some instances continue to do so.

But now and again comes along a new “voice” with an original take on the art of storytelling, in this instance, Sean Filkins. By no means a newcomer to the business, Filkins is a time-served and seasoned performer whose previous band was the highly acclaimed Big Big Train. Such was their standing that among the guest performers on their Difference Machine were Spock’s Beard’s Nick D’Virgilio and Dave Meros and Pete Trewevas from Marillion.

That was then, and right now, armed with an album title first conceived way back in 1992 and some song lines based on personal stories, Sean’s first solo album is one of those “oh so English” prog gems which just shimmers with life and radiates a unique energy. Surrounding himself with some excellent musicians such as John Mitchell from It Bites, Gary Chandler from Jadis, Lee Abrahams from Galahad and his old musical partner John Sammes from Indigo Pilots, the overall effect is a joyful tapestry of emotionally-charged and memorable soundscapes.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2011  Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Think Atom Heart Mother as a radio crackles into life, a pot of tea is made and the strains of Jerusalem set the scene for the ensuing story.