This is not your father’s progressive rock. It’s closely related to things like Kraftwerk, but also to RPWL and Porcupine Tree. It’s often dark. It rocks at time, but is also quite mellow at others. It even lands quite near classical music at times.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2015 Volume 3 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Not The One
Electronic based, this has a lot of elements in common with things like Kraftwerk. Yet, the vocals bring more melody, landing it perhaps closer to the moodier stuff from groups like Porcupine Tree and RPWL. It powers out into more rocking music later, too.
More Than This There is a lot of magic packed into this piece. The same basic mix of sounds is more or less presented here. This one just has a lot of emotion and a cool groove.
Low With some definite symphonic elements, this cut is quite pretty. It’s deceptively complex and suitably dark.
Want
Extremely classical in nature, this is a beautiful piece of music. It’s quite mellow early and has some world music in the mix. It’s also one of my favorites of the set. When it turns more rocking later, it is one of the most blatantly prog moments of the disc.
Here Tonight The cut remains mellower from start to finish than some of the rest do. It’s pretty, dark and very tasty.
Come Around There are a lot of symphonic elements at play here. This is quite a different cut in a lot of ways. It’s also classy.
Open Your Soul
Imagine blending Depeche Mode with something like RPWL. You’ll be thinking of something close to this. This has quite a few different sections. It’s another that winds up more blatantly proggy than some of the rest do.
Everyday I Love You More Based heavily on piano and symphonic elements, this song is very evocative. It’s also quite pretty. I like it a lot.
Passion
The same combination of sounds I heard on “Open Your Soul” seems to be present here. This is slow moving, but insistent. It’s evocative and potent.
