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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Moon Letters

Thank You From the Future

Review by Gary Hill

The first album from Moon Letters came out in 2019, and this is the follow up. That one was very strong, but I think this one surpasses it. These guys produce a kind of progressive rock that is full of frantic twists and turns and leanings in quite a few directions. It has modern edges, but a lot of classic stuff, too. I'd say that there is a very good chance that this will make my "best of 2022" list. It is that good.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2022  Volume 5. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2022.
Track by Track Review
Sudden Sun
Fast-paced prog jamming with both a modern and classic angle start things. The vocals have more of an old-school prog angle. The music at times makes me think of Dream Theater on this fast-paced movement. A short mellower section provides a respite before, it shifts to furious nearly fusion-like stuff for a more modern vocal section. This thing is such a powerhouse, twisting this way and that.
The Hrossa
Vocals start this, and then a blast of music rises up to join. The cut has some world music in this introductory section. Then it shifts to a retro-tinged organ sound before the other instruments join. The cut works out with a psychedelic meets prog arrangement that's quite classy. This thing twists and turns through all kinds of cool sections. It's a classy prog excursion that really rocks. There is a mellower, dramatic, movement at the end that is just so classy.
Mother River
I dig the classic sounding guitar work that brings this in a lot. It has a real blues range vibe. They work out to more driving progressive rock from there. The cut gets into some fast-paced quirky prog after the first vocal movement. This is dynamic and ever twisting and turning. A section that takes over around the half-way mark makes me think of what you might get if you merged Yes with Rush. The number gets into rapid fire twists and turns with full prog concepts on display from there.
Isolation and Foreboding
This comes in mellower and fairly trippy. The cut has some cool fusion-like jamming as it drives onward. I love the unusual timing on the section that serves as the backdrop for the first vocals. This drops to a mellower movement later on in the song. More melodic progressive rock takes over further down the road. I really love the expressive guitar soloing later on the track.
Child of Tomorrow
More of a mainstream rock sound brings this in, but it has some melodic prog in the mix, too. I'm reminded a little of Muse as this works outward to more purely proggy stuff from there. This explodes out into rapid fire prog jamming further down the road that seems to combine fusion and Dream Theater. Then it drops to a mellow, acoustic guitar driven sounds. That gives way to a powered up prog jam that seems like what you might get if you merged Yes with Jethro Tull. It has some seriously powerful moments as it keeps driving onward.
Fate of the Alacorn
A mellower arrangement starts this with a trippy kind of psychedelic meets prog angle. It is slow and moody. Metallic angles rise upward from there to take it into a new hard-edged prog jam. This thing works through so many changes and differing sections with some really challenging and powerful prog jamming. It turns metallic after the half-way mark for a new jam. There is a cool, almost spooky, organ section in a movement later. It drives toward some almost symphonic angles from there. 
Yesterday Is Gone
Coming in more mainstream, this quickly twists toward the proggy end of the spectrum. It has a hard rocking angle that at times leans toward metal. There are some particularly dramatic moments on this thing. This is another that just keeps shifting and turning. There are some really powerful moments. A fast-paced jam that has a symphonic and classic prog leaning is so cool. Then it gets into more of an Emerson, Lake and Palmer type sound for a short time. This just keeps evolving from there, though, eventually working to a cool triumphant sounding movement to end the track and album in a very satisfying way.
 
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