Half Past Four Land of the Blind Review by Gary Hill
I really like this band. I've reviewed them in the past and always find them to be refreshing. This time around they even got some bonus points for covering one of my secret passion bands, Max Webster. Every time I've been to Canada I made a point of bringing home at least one Max Webster disc. So, with this outfit paying tribute, it's like icing on the cake. This set is perhaps more purely prog oriented than some of their other stuff.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2016 Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Mathematics
Trippy and fun, the proggy elements on this song are so cool. There are a lot of jazzy things in terms of the changes and arrangement. The instrumental breaks on this are purely progressive rock. They are also quite classic in their prog tones. This is just such a powerhouse piece of music. That makes it a great opening number.
Mood Elevator The spoken male vocals on this are tastefully bizarre. The music is jazzy and trippy and just a bit Frank Zappa-like. This is killer stuff for sure.
Toronto Tontos I've always loved this song as originally released by Max Webster. It's a bouncy kind of crazed high energy jam. This version is quite cool, too.
One Eyed Man Bouncy and tastefully strange, this is a lot of fun. I love the guitar soloing mid-track on this thing.
Mirror Eyes Another killer prog rock tune, I love the melodic elements on this song. There are definitely jazzy elements here. It's one of the strongest pieces here. There are some exceptional prog rock shifts and turns. There is some particularly tasty guitar work on this thing.
