VIRGIL & STEVE HOWE

Lunar Mist INSIDEOUT

The Yes star presents powerful new music written by his late son.

It’s a tragedy that Virgil Howe died aged just 41, and only months before the November 2017 release of his first album with father, Steve Howe. The acclaimed Nexus was a strong, compelling record that added to Virgil’s standing as a respected drummer, keyboardist and composer, and spoke to the musical DNA that father and son shared. There were no plans for another release from the pair, but two years ago Howe Sr began scouring laptops, hard drives and the family’s studio in the West Country for all the fresh music he could find by his son. Over Christmas 2020 he took these ideas, demos and half-complete tunes and began developing them into this unexpected treat of an album.

Its otherworldly title track – with its dulcimer-like hook and insistent piano line and groove – was completed before Virgil’s death but had been left on the shelf. Here and elsewhere, it’s striking how much of the debut’s spacey musical character remains on Lunar Mist.

Virgil’s work with rock band Little Barrie meant that he was perhaps perceived as more of a drummer than keyboardist, but there’s much here to redress the balance. There’s some serious percussion on the funky closer Martian Mood, but the melodic piano lines of Never Less are those of a gifted pianist. The electric piano of As If Between, Dirama’s

warm synth strings – are considered, and highly sympathetic to the compositions they colour.

Steve Howe’s fretwork is, needless to say, subtly sensational throughout. Whether on nylon-string guitar

(the melancholy, classical-leaning Never Less), electric (the low-tempo, bluesy Dirama; the strident A Month In The Sun)

or steel-string acoustic (that mesmerising title track), his work is typically mindful, and respectful of the composer.

One of Lunar Mist’s finest moments is Mariah’s Theme,

a gentle, languid and quietly complicated piece packed with exotic top lines, Mellotron-like strings and instinctive, after-the-fact interplay from Steve. There’s plenty of room in the music too, the sparse arrangement letting the piece’s irresistible motifs breathe. Similarly, on the face of it the moody Lothian’s Way is simple, but it’s imbued with some juicy chords, sweet melodies and nicely alien electronic production touches that elevate the whole thing.

The elegant call-and-response piece More Than You Know

first sees Virgil’s synth answered by Steve’s beautiful acoustic guitar lines, and the musical roles are then reversed. It sounds like communication between father and lost son.

It’s a deeply touching moment on a high-pedigree record. Lunar Mist is a welcome, moving surprise.

IT‘S A COMMUNICATION BETWEEN FATHER AND LOST SON.