AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST
GRANT MOON has a rummage down the back of the Prog sofa for the ones that nearly got away…
Featuring IQ/Arena/Jadis bassist John Jowitt, Drifting Sun is a traditional, neo-style prog rock band initiated by French keyboardist/composer Pat Sanders in the 90s. The latest in a quality catalogue,
Forsaken Innocence (driftingsun. bandcamp.com) might be their best yet. Jowitt, Sanders and guitarist Mathieu Spaeter are virtuoso players, but the focus is on songcraft over widdle. King Of The Country, Dementium and the two-part title track are anthemic and dramatic, and singer Jargon brings personality and expression to this assured, polished prog record.
The cover of Alvablot’s new record Harmonic Dystopia
(alvablot.se) is a pretty accurate illustration of the music therein. It’s written, performed and produced by seasoned Swedish multi-instrumentalist Petter Karlsson, who describes this aptly as ‘fantasy rock’. Karlsson’s voice is dramatic, his arrangements metalsymphonic, and his guitars and synths strident as he throws himself into fairy tale tunes such as Golden Elf, Elysium Road and Dark Princess. It’s Devin Townsend versus Nightwish – enjoyably overblown tosh done with winning conviction by a serious musical talent.
Post-rock trio Final Coil draw from well of The Pineapple Thief and Tool, but Somnambulant II
(Wormhole Death) comes with a hefty dose of 80s Depeche Mode too. Processed, Dave Gahan-esque vocals, swathes of keyboards, machine-like drums and industrial guitars evoke a dark, solipsistic, student-bedsit atmosphere. It’s a pretty glum, po-faced listen, but the compositions are strong.
US trio Moon X offer up “jazz/progspace rock with an experimental twist” on their debut album Zap!
(davenewhouse.bandcamp.com). Featuring The Muffins’ Dave
Newhouse (woodwinds, flute, keys and vocals), his son George on drums and Jerry King on guitar, this elite unit turn their hand to bonkers psych, Canterbury and crunchy, ersatz Mahavishnu/free-jazz Miles tones too. Some gonzo spoken-word bits lighten a dish that’ll be a bit rich for some palettes, but is served up by clearly seasoned hands.
Finally this time, Isle Of Joy is led by Finnish artist Sam Fröjdö, a drummer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and singer, and probably in that order going on his debut album,
Songs From The Second Floor (Jonas Franck Productions). A fan of Zappa, Steely Dan and Pink Floyd, Fröjdö populates his bighearted tunes with Moogs, electric pianos, saxophones and detailed drumwork: a little Rush here; a little Supertramp there. His own vocals are characterful but take a little getting used to: he’s Nick Cave fronting Floyd on My Sorrow’s Great Embrace; a randy Billy Joel on One Night Stand, while Charlotta Kerbs steals the show with her big-lunged vocal on gospel/bluesy
My Last Song. All a bit nutty and eccentric, but worth a stream.