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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Sit Kitty Sit Tectonic Review by Gary Hill I previously reviewed a set from this act and really liked it. The concept of just piano, drums and voice used to really rock, sets them apart. Well, as much as I enjoyed the last one, this disc is even stronger. They stretch out a bit and really show off their prog rock elements nicely. One of the songs, "Paper Doll," addresses the issues of depression and suicide, which seems very timely these days. It should be noted that this gets some parental advisories on the lyrics. I think there is a good chance this set will make my "best of 2018" list. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2018 Volume 4. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2018.

Track by Track Review

Forgot to Burn This comes into being with a powerhouse jazzy sound. It has elements of Emerson, Lake and Palmer to some degree. The vocal join in fast paced, almost angry ways. This gets theatrical and powerful as it drives forward. They work out into an intriguing alternate movement later in the piece.

What Doesn't Kill You A fast paced, hard rocking jam, this is such a killer piece. Again I'm reminded of ELP to some large degree. The middle section of this track has even more of that ELP kind of thing underway. As strong as the opener was, this one far exceeds it. There is a pretty crazed speed up to lightning pace bit at the end. That movement is extensive and really brings an almost punk rock intensity to it. There are other voices on the chorus and crowd response at the end as this is a live studio recording.

(Over and Over Again) This is a short weird spoken interlude.

Million Miles The track comes in as more of a mainstream rock song. This gets pretty powerful as it drives forward.

Paper Doll Piano opens this in a pretty melody. It shifts from there to an interestingly timed jam that's so cool. This has some pretty crazed changes. It's a powerhouse track that really is packed full of emotion. It drops back to just piano after the three minute mark. It is a gentle, slow moving passage, and the vocals return over the top of that. The piece gradually grows back outward from there. Then it powers back out into rocking stuff to continue.

(Is This What It's Like) With a recorded voice on loop and some background noise like a television, this is another short interlude.

Skinned The drums open this and the cut works out from there with the piano added in a sparse way. The vocals come in over the top of that backdrop. It drives forward becoming more intense, but then seems to end. The cut pounds back in after a short time, feeling like it has a new fire, but still set along the same musical concept.

Burst The piano that opens this feels more cheery. There are so many layers of vocals on this cut, creating a very dense structure. In fact, while there is instrumental music here, this could have probably worked just as well as an acapella track because the instruments are such a small part of this thing.

(I'm Talking to You) This is another short interlude piece that seems almost like an extension of the last one.

Sanctuary Classically styled piano brings this into being. The vocals come in over the top of that. It remains fairly sedate until around the minute and a half mark. It powers out then to a rocking kind of jam that's incredibly cool. They take it through some shifts and changes, driving in some intriguing passages.

Never Had a Chance I dig the intricate piano that creates the melody at the start of this. The tune has a cool slightly off-kilter edge to it. It's along the lines of both jazzy and Rock In Opposition styled stuff. It's one of the most "different" things here. The vocals are more purely rocking than on some of the others, too.

Tectonic Shift The title track has some of that rocking ELP-like stuff. It also has a lot of jazz built into it. It's a great tune, and an excellent way to ground things as it ends.

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