I AM THE MANIC WHALE

New Forms Of Life INDEPENDENT Debut live album from Reading neo-prog quartet.

Over the last five years I Am The Manic Whale have emerged from the progressive rock hotbed that is Reading to make a minor splash within the current Brit prog scene. After only two studio albums – 2015’s Everything Beautiful In Time and 2017’s Gathering The Waters – it’s a moot point whether the world was really crying out yet for a live Whale release. However taken at face value New Forms Of Life captures a creditable performance that features a mixture of tracks from both studio releases. The Man With Many Faces is a suitably exuberant opener for a live show, while The Milgram Experiment – perhaps the band’s most accomplished song to date – translates nicely to the stage. The Whale occupy the most melodic and accessible point on the progressive spectrum. As with the band’s studio albums there’s nothing earth-shattering to hear here and the musicianship is certainly more accomplished than the vocals. However the Whale come armed with a bundle of good tunes and don’t take themselves too seriously, notwithstanding lyrics that don’t shy away from darker subjects on occasion. Fans of the likes of Spock’s Beard and Jadis will find much to enjoy.