This is unusual music, but then again, that’s an unusual name for a band. I wouldn’t say everything here is prog rock, but just about all of it is proggy. The mix of sound is sure to appeal to fans of classic rock the most. Although this album is a bit uneven, it’s all pretty good.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2016 Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
While I Still Can
Flute starts this. They launch out from there into a jam that’s part fusion and part hard rock. One instrumental jam on this makes me think of Santana a bit. Another calls to mind Jethro Tull a bit.
Me Again Hard edged rock, this is a bit raw and rough around the edges. It’s part psychedelic garage band and part prog rock. I like the piano on the cut. The vocals leave me wanting a bit, though.
Frail Hurricane This one really isn’t prog. It’s pretty much a metal cut more than it is anything else.
By the Water
I love this song. It’s slow moving and mellow. It lands between progressive rock and psychedelia. It’s very spacey.
All This Time Another trippy tune, this is also part psychedelia and part prog. It’s more or less space rock, really. I dig the melodic guitar solo on this.
Wait for the Storm More or less like folk prog, this benefits from the flute. It’s slow moving and mellow. It’s also very dramatic. The guitar soloing really brings a lot to the table, too. This is definitely one of my favorite pieces on this disc.
Can't Let You Go Less proggy than some of the rest, this is still a cool song. It’s closer to an alternative rocker, but there are some intriguing changes. It’s a good cut, but not one of the highlights. The impassioned vocals do help, though.
Invisible I like this song a lot. It’s another slower, mellower one. It’s trippy. It reminds me quite a bit of Hogarth era Marillion, perhaps blended with some RPWL and even a little Pink Floyd.
Hello There is a cool electronic jazz groove going on here. There is a little voice (it sounds like a kid) as sort of a soundbite at times. This thing is really cool. Other than that spoken voice, this is an instrumental.
Just So Love You This isn’t really very proggy. That said, there is enough jazz in the mix here to make this almost fusion. That comes closer enough. Overall, it’s a bluesy jam with a real jazz edge.