TUMBLETOWN

Clever playing in search of a song.

Five years on from their debut Done With The Coldness, TumbleTown return with Never Too Late. The core of the group has expanded from a duo to a trio, with keys player Erik Laan joining vocalist/ guitarist Hans Uil and guitarist/bassist Aldo Adema. Their sound leans towards the more modern side of prog. Tracks like All Because Of Me recall Spock’s Beard and Neal Morse without the religious overtones, though that one is a bit of a plodder. There’s plenty of melodrama, particularly in Do Not Leave Me Now, while Adema’s bass work in Avalon is similar to Nick Beggs’. What the album lacks is a standout track that immediately grabs the listener. As skilful as the players are, there aren’t a lot of hooks among all the dense arrangements. Transatlantic is the centrepiece of the record, but Uil’s verbose lyrics and the absence of any memorable melody mean it can feel like a clinical exercise in prog boxchecking rather than a compelling piece of music in its own right. Competing for space and attention alongside bands such as Lifesigns and IO Earth, both of whom have stronger material, TumbleTown are left to run with the pack, but they’re not leading it.