Mazzy Star "Seasons Of Your Day" Review

Reviewed by Jason Simpson (Forestpunk).

Mazzy Star exist in a world of their own. It is a world of shadow & sunlight; precious stones and fireflies. Time stands still, here. It is peaceful. 
While time in Mazzy Star's village exists in suspended animation, much has changed in The Kingdom since their last record, 1996's "Among My Swan". Since then, their brand of slow-motion, reverb-laden rock has seeped into the collective unconscious, via trending young artists like Beach House, Widowspeak and Memoryhouse. Perhaps we are ready to listen closely and hear what they are REALLY whispering. 
While this new generation of indie babes has grown up listening to Mazzy Star, Hope Sandoval and David Roback have clearly grown up listening to classic records: soul, blues, country, rock 'n roll, and it has served them well. Pitchfork referred to Mazzy Star's music as "psych-tinged folk blues, Laurel Canyon glide, and Hope Sandoval's distinctive voice." Sonically, for all intents and purposes, "Seasons Of Your Day" is a straight up, folk-inflected blues rock record. Spartan guitar lines lock and weave; slide, acoustic and mildly overdriven tweed cabinet electric are accented with a slight touch of jazz-brushed percussion and walking country bass lines. It's so pure, and so close to the original, that it's like a moment suspended in amber, giving us the chance to separate the disparate elements and see them clearly, individually. 
The only thing that separates Mazzy Star from being a straight up Rockabilly tribute band is reverb and tempo. This must be the psych element, giving their music a stylized edge. It is interesting to place this next to the originals, and note the differences. The codeine crawl pace of their music gives it a nostalgic, romantic lamentation. Mazzy Star's psychedelia is dealing with time and memory. This is the sound of a lifetime loving records, hearing your parents play Gene Clark and Gram Parsons records through thin tenement walls as you drift off to sleep, listening to the sounds of their sedated party. Recording technology has only been around for about a hundred years and there have only been a couple of generations that have had a chance to grow up with records. They are ghosts caught on wax, portals to other times and places, escapes from your life in the doldrums. We are seeing the artistic and psychological implications of this new technology. 
In many ways, Mazzy Star's music is directly intertwined with recording technology; you simple would not hear it, otherwise. Sandoval and Roback are notoriously reticent to conduct interviews or play the industry game. Even their 17 year hiatus was not a planned career move or staged antic. There is no career to speak of. The pair played music frequently in that time, just didn't bother to put any of it out. 
That's how it is with musicians and creative types. They are always making things, hanging out and collaborating, and albums are an approximation, a simulacrum, of that real life. But it is not the real thing, which happens in living rooms and kitchens, huddled around hi-fis, or walking to the store to get smokes. Hope Sandoval sometimes doesn't even like her bandmates to be in the room with her when she is recording vocals. The condenser microphone, in this case, acts as magick wand and time capsule, giving you an intimate window into empty rooms and fading afternoons, that have faded into dust. 

Now that the world has gone slow-core, here's to hoping a whole new generation will find Mazzy Star's music, and discover the world of timeless sounds they revere. There are shades of Zeppelin in the rolling Kashmere chord progression of "California", and you can hear the echo of Son House's thunderous roar in the charging slide guitar of album closer "Lay Myself Down". 
"Seasons Of Your Day" has some auspicious guests grace it's eaves - dearly departed British folklorist Bert Jansch laid down some guitar on "Spoon", before his passing in 2011, and My Bloody Valentine drummer Colm O' Cloissog, whom Hope Sandoval has worked with in Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions, plays a number of instruments on a number of tracks. 
In a lot of ways, "Seasons Of Your Day" is superior to the classic slabs they imitate. Every track is beautifully recorded and mastered, smooth, warm and lush, never grating, never breaking the spell. It benefits from truly inspired and organic arrangements, that can come out of nowhere and blow your mind, like the sudden appearance of a string quartet on the title track, or the harpsichord on "Sparrow" (recorded on what sounds like a real harpsichord). Dale Everingham deserves a grammy for his engineering work on this one. 
"Seasons Of Your Day" is the best blues record you'll hear this year. And the best country record. And (one of the) best dream pop records. Massive kudos to the band, this has been dancing on the breeze in my living room for weeks, turning my home into a cryogenic roadhouse. I had forgotten how much I love this band, and it has reignited my love for their earlier records, as well as the classic recordings they represent. If you've not yet heard this band, climb on board - this is a fine way to find out. There are many lessons to learn, many miracles to witness.

Available on vinyl here, and CD here.

Roy Harper "Man & Myth" Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

Roy Harper's last studio album, 2000's "The Green Man" seemed like the first step towards a major renaissance for an artist habitually underappreciated. His retirement announcement later in the decade was a major blow for those wanting to see that renaissance come to a head.
It was a very pleasant surprise then earlier in the year to stumble across the news that "Man & Myth" was done and dusted and ready for release, and happily I can report that it's a very satisfying follow up to "The Green Man", draped in veils of melancholy (thanks Status Quo!), and suffused with righteous anger.
So, nothing exactly new for a Harper release, but as a distillation of themes that he's pursued through a long career it's pretty priceless.
Jonathan Wilson sits in the producer's chair for four of the album's seven tracks, and while Harper is sure enough of his direction to not require a Rick Rubin style back to basics reinvention, he does allow Wilson to guide these songs in interesting directions that Harper hasn't explored before, notably on the delicate musings of "Time is Temporary" which unexpectedly benefits from a banjo refrain that is likely the closest Harper has veered towards Americana territory so far.
"Cloud Cuckooland" on the other hand proves that the art of protest has not been lost to him, and Harper's vitriolic musings on fame are perfectly accentuated up by guest guitarist Pete Townshend (joining an impressive roster of rock royalty who have performed on Harper albums), who's staccato stabs and searing leads are more visceral than anything we've heard from him for decades.
Best of all though is the closing one-two punch of "Heaven is Here" and "The Exile" - very much in the style of Harper's most famous work "Stormcock", it starts as a fairly straightforward account of "Jason & the Argonauts" from the point of view of one of Jason's crew, before it veers off in a more personal direction, with Harper's ornate acoustic guitar combining marvelously with swelling strings and insistent percussion that never impairs the narrative thrust of the over twenty minute suite.
Whether this proves to be a major step towards wider recognition (which there's hope for with the support of the excellent Bella Union label), or another isolated triumph remains to be seen, but it's certainly deserving of the sort of accolades heaped upon recent works by others of his generation.

"Man and Myth" is available here on CD, and here on vinyl.

Sample "Time is Temporary" below (please hit refresh if Soundcloud imbed isn't visible).
 

The Movements "Like Elephants 1" Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

Swedish garage rockers The Movements have shown signs of creative restlessness almost since day one, and this desire to stretch out the boundaries of a reasonably restrictive genre takes full effect on their new album "Like Elephants 1" ("Like Elephants 2" is coming early next year).
Where previous albums have shown a mastery of vintage sounding garage revivalism, "Like Elephants 1" sees them trying on their technicolor dreamcoat and looking just fine in it.
Opener, and first single "The Death of John Hall D.Y" attempts a red herring, starting with a sneaky shred of what sounds like a lo-fi garage rehearsal before boosting everything else in the mix into a glorious three dimensional burst of garage psychedelia with tight folk-rock harmonies, and barely restrained fuzz guitars. It's deeply psychedelic, but doesn't lose an ounce of it's original garage rock muscle.
Refreshingly, the Movements approach to psychedelia doesn't rely on layering their original sound with phasing, extreme levels of reverb (which seems to be the instant psychedelia pre-set these days) and other studio trickery. Instead, they stretch themselves musically in a similar manner to a number of first generation psychedelicists who turned themselves onto the sounds of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman to expand their horizons exponentially. And while it's not unusual for artists pursuing this direction to forget to write memorable tunes to build off, the Movements write consistently great rock songs like the hook laden "Two Tongues".
Best of all is when they combine both approaches, with "Boogin" graduating from relentless, organ-fuelled psych groover to transcendental raga-rock that encapsulates an album's worth of growth in seven short minutes.
"Like Elephants 1" is an incredibly exciting record, and one that will make anyone who'd written the Movements off feel very foolish indeed. Recommended, and I can't wait for "Like Elephants 2".

Available here on CD from October 21.

Check out the video and the single mix for "The Death of John Hall D.Y" here:

Nigel Mazlyn Jones "Ship to Shore" Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

Guerssen have sure got the goods this month, and this is the best yet!
Originally released in 1976 on Jones' own label (rumours suggest he had become mistrustful of the "music business circus", although whether that's a direct quote or not, I don't know), this is easily the best private press LP I've ever heard.
A remarkably confident debut, recorded with help from members of Decameron, Madrigal and Steve Ashley's band, this has long been lauded as a folk classic by those who have heard it.
After a month of rabid listening I certainly wouldn't dispute that "classic" tag, but progressive singer-songwriter is probably a more apt and less constrictive description of the sort of material that you'll find here -it's definitely much more along the lines of early seventies Al Stewart and Roy Harper than any of the folkies who relied on traditional material.
Jones' dexterous acoustic guitar work (with extensive use of harmonics) is an immediate attention grabber and an impressive foil for his strong songwriting which places just as much emphasis on memorable melodies as it does on technical prowess.
The first seven tracks consist of impressively literate, concise singer songwriter material which alternate between lighter, melodic fare like "Take Me Home" and "Follow Every Sunset" which have the upbeat pep of contemporary Cat Stevens, and affecting ballads of a moodier hue, the best of which are "How High The Moon"and "The Man & The Deer", both equipped with ornate, lingering guitar melodies.
Impressive as these are, it's on lengthy closing track "Ship to Shore" that Jones truly steps up the progressive stakes. A multi-part epic with stunning swells of slide guitar, and a dramatic, percussive solo guitar middle section that briefly revisits the theme from "How High The Moon". In many ways it sounds like something that a particularly inspired "Animals" era Pink Floyd might have conjured up in a power cut.
Guerssen have done us a major service in attempting to share this with a wider audience - great stuff.

Available on vinyl directly from the Guerssen webstore here.

CD on Kissing Spell available here.

Wolf People Gig Review Oct. 11, 2013 - New York

Wolf People
The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY
October 11, 2013

Reviewed by Chris Sherman (Sky Picnic) 


I don’t recall the exact chain of events that led me to the discovery of Wolf People in the autumn of 2010.  I’d like to think of it as a happy accident though, as the Steeple LP became a permanent fixture on my turntable.  Their brand of progressive folk, with narratives that sit well alongside dark stories straight out of ancient British novels, is exquisitely classic sounding; it is full of warmth, rather welcoming and oddly comforting, which is contrasted by heavy passages that keep the listener on edge.  Earlier this year, the band released their latest Fain, which picks up where the previous left off, but adding a more fully realized sound to their cannon, and by far one of the top releases of 2013.

On Friday night I was lucky enough to see them live at their first ever United States gig.   Over the course of nearly 70 minutes, we heard about half of each of their full-lengths; the crowd loved every second, and the band did not disappoint, despite this being the first night of the tour.  “I though New Yorkers were supposed to be loud.  You have a reputation as such, but are quite the opposite” Jack Sharp (vocals/ guitar) jokingly remarked at the head of their set.  From there the band launched into “Silbury Sands,” the lead track off Steeple, and upon its conclusion, immediately led to a chorus of cheers.  Personal favorite “When the Fire is Dead In the Grate” followed; it a cornucopia full of heavy riffery that had heads bobbing and made this guitarist just want to go home and practice his chops.  Single “All Returns” was played with such perfection one would assume it had been part of their set list for years. 
The band then tore through two songs from Steeple, and, this is probably as good a time as any to mention that the renditions played Friday from it absolutely bested their studio counterparts.  These guys took those pieces to another level, especially evident in what I would consider the standout from the set, “Morning Born”/ “Cromlech”.  The guitar solos by Joe Hollick in the jammier sections not only were extremely tight and mind blowing, they also sounded top notch, running through a vintage Fender cabinet and a series of effects pedals that particularly had my ear all evening.
With the close of the main set, the crowd was able to bring Wolf People back out for a quick encore, and the playing of “NRR”, which was the perfect conclusion to the evening, and a sort of summary of the events that just transpired.  I was able to chat up both Jack and Dan after the set.  They are extremely excited to be in the United States (their first time ever leaving Europe) and were quite pleased with the show and the crowd.  Unfortunately, this is a only quick two-week blast of shows through the eastern portion of the States only, and then it’s back to day jobs and life in the UK.  But for the time being, catch Wolf People should they hit your town, as enough cannot be said about their live show.

Setlist:

Silbury Sands
When the Fire Is Dead in the Grate
All Returns
Tiny Circle
Castle Keep
Athol
Morning Born
Cromlech
Hesperus
One By One From Dorney Reach

Encore:
 
NRR

The Sadies "Internal Sounds" Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

Canadian Byrd-worshippers the Sadies have become something of an institution in their nineteen years with an impressive back catalogue of torch-bearing cosmic American (or should that be cosmic Canadian??) music under their own name, and also in support of the likes of John Doe, Neko Case and Andre Williams.
They have a knack for combining contemporary sounds with classic country rock and psychedelic influences into a sound distinctly their own that makes allegations of revivalism seem almost uncouth, and "Internal Sounds" continues in this vein with perhaps their strongest set of songs to date.
Particularly well lived in (the album has been more than a year in the works), "Internal Sounds" in many ways epitomises the Sadies approach to music making, from the lazy campfire singalong of "So Much Blood" which could nestle comfortably on the Byrds' much underrated "Farther Along", to the euphoric country punk of "Another Tomorrow" via the dramatic, cinematic scope of "The Very Ending".
The best is saved for last though, where in a gesture that suggests that laurel-resting is the last thing on their mind they enlist Buffy Sainte-Marie for a paisley tinged chant that effectively revisits and builds upon her envelope-pushing classic "Illuminations" from 1969.
Another essential chapter in a story which continues to surprise.

Available on vinyl, Digital Download, and CD.
 

The Active Listener Sampler Number 13 - Download Now!

Now that your eye has been caught by Matt Talbot's psychedelic cat, perhaps you'd care to check out this month's sampler?
Lots of exciting stuff for you to check out as usual, including Sky Picnic's cover of "The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This" from the upcoming "Forever Changing" tribute, premieres for tracks by Orgasmo Sonore and the White Kites, Neils Children covering Broadcast's "Black Cat" as a tribute to Trish, Balduin's psychedelic take on the Kinks "Autumn Almanac" and a whole host of the month's best new music.

Don't forget to check out and hit LIKE on the Facebook links on the Bandcamp page to hear more from these artists.

1. The Dandelion - Pleiadian Love Vibration 02:30
2. Rosco - The Girl From Orbit In Dub 07:28
3. Sky Picnic - The Good Humor Man (He Sees Everything Like This) 03:22
4. Orgasmo Sonore - Sabba 05:57
5. Neils Children - Black Cat (free) 04:08
6. Our Solar System - Merkurius (edit) 02:54
7. The White Kites - Clown King 03:29
8. 8x8 - Azalea's Room 04:31
 9. Shadow Folk - Point Pleasant 02:12
10. Os Noctàmbulos - Forget Everything 03:22
11. Balduin - Autumn Almanac 03:06
12. Magic Cat - She's Like Danger 03:00
13. Haunted Leather - Sophie's Song 07:38
14. The Velcro Lewis Group - Inside My Cloud 03:38
15. The Citradels - Take It Out 08:29

Download or stream through this link, and please let us know what you've enjoyed:

Lubos Fiser "Morgiana" Zdenek Liska "The Cremator" Soundtrack Review

Reviewed by Grey Malkin (The Hare & The Moon).

Previously unreleased, the soundtrack to two of the Czech New Wave's greatest (and, in the case of "The Cremator", most notorious) films have finally been made available by the splendid Finders Keepers label. Finders Keepers have been singular in their admirable determination to ensure that the few dedicated souls passionate about this under sung but crucial moment in European cinema history can enjoy the accompanying music, be it the dark Victoriana of "Valerie And Her Week of Wonders" or the jazzier, contemporary Euro-pop of "Saxanna" (the original teenage witch).

"The Cremator" and "Morgiana" are stylistically and narratively two very different films but they are united in their vaulting ambition and early employ of magical realism along with some of the most incredible cinematography you will ever see. What was in the water in Czechoslovakia in the 1960s?

"The Cremator" is a monochrome allegory involving the eponymous character who, obsessed with the afterlife and his own increasingly demented moral code, carries out atrocities first against his fellow men and then finally his own family. There are obvious references to Nazi Germany and the Czech experience of communist oppression at the time cannot be underestimated when considering the film's social commentary (a number of "The Cremator"s surrealist elements were a deliberate attempt to fly under the censor's radar). A chilling and understated film, it contrasts with the more flamboyant and gothic styling of other Czech gems such as "Valerie" or the day glow anarchy of "Daisies". Instead "The Cremator" is more akin to German Expressionism or Bergman's darker, more nihilistic portrayals of what it means to be human.

Composer Zdeněk Liška's previous work on another Czech classic "Malá Mořská Víla" (The Little Mermaid) was a stunning mix of electronics and baroque orchestral work, filled with harpsichord and chimes.  For "The Cremator" he employs an almost fairy tale like sense of magic and wonder in the use of choir and playful strings, quite at odds with the dark undertow of the movie but deliberately underscoring the increasingly unsettling mismatch of the protagonist's deranged world view and his respectable appearance. Hints of darker goings on begin to emerge from more conventional passages as the music itself indicates that behind the publicly acceptable and polite persona "The Cremator" is both sociopathic and deeply insane; merry-go-rounds and oompah segue into off- key trumpet squalls as both the film and its accompanying soundtrack reveal the dark heart of our narrator.

"Morgiana" was arguably the final film of the Czech new wave and also one of its finest. Communist occupation would eventually result in the country's film industry being under strict government control, effectively calling a halt to what was arguably one of the most unique, creative, colourful and surreal movements in cinema history. Essentially a gothic tale of two sisters (one good, one very bad) and featuring a stellar performance in both roles by Iva Janzurova, "Morgiana" is a psychedelic gothic masterpiece that rivals that other Czech classic "Valerie And Her Week of Wonders" in its sumptuous photography and costumes. The hair is big, the eyeliner thick and the out of time Victoriana of the costumes both evocative and creepy.

Prior to "Morgiana", Luboš Fišer had already scored "Valerie", quite simply one of the all-time great soundtracks with its use of strings, clockwork sound effects, harpsichord and choirs. Enchanting and fairytale like but also at times menacing and melancholy, the soundtrack has gone on to influence a wide range of artists from Espers to Broadcast to my own pop combo The Hare And The Moon. Fišer’s music for "Morgiana" immediately takes a darker tone, befitting the film, but the twisted waltzes and bells evoke much the same otherworldly and magical atmosphere as his soundtrack to "Valerie". Occasionally a tense and ominous trumpet fanfare echoes some of the Hammer soundtracks of the same period and in some respects "Morgiana" is in the mould of those glorious Technicolor horrors. But within both soundtrack and the film there is something deeper at work here, different to its British or Western European counterparts, something timeless and with a melancholy not present in your typical gothic flick.

The Finders Keepers CD release offers a burgeoning booklet of articles on both films and the cinematic movement that they were a part of. Separate vinyl releases for each soundtrack are also available and lovely they are too. Highly recommended, treat yourself and enter a different world.

The CD featuring both soundtracks is available here (at a great price).
 
The vinyl soundtracks are available here.

Soundcloud samples below (please refresh page if these aren't visible).

Moodoïd "E.P" Review

Reviewed by Cheryl Thornton

Beneath the make-up and wonderfully extravagant attire of Moodoïd in his recent videos lies a face you may have encountered before (or not - that all depends). This is the face of Pablo Padovani, a French multi-intrumentalist better known as the guitarist for Melody’s Echo Chamber. His self-titled debut E.P. is about to change that.
Released in September via Les Disques Entreprise, Pablo’s output under the pseudonym Moodoïd has more in common with Melody’s Echo Chamber than a band member and origins in France. Cue Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, the ever prevalent, ever talented force responsible for mixing the records of both. Although comparisons will inevitably be made between the reverb-laden psychedelic sounds of all three acts, it’s clear that Moodoïd’s unique blend of world music and psych-pop situates him firmly within, well, a world of his own.
The opening track, and first single to be taken from the E.P., establishes this from the outset. "Je Suis La Montagne" begins with a languorous drum beat and lovely, lilting guitar (so many L’s) that becomes characteristic of Moodoïd’s sound. The vocals echo out dreamily, creating a sublime arrangement where all the parts seem to melt into each other and you can’t help but sway along. It’s worth noting that the tracks on this E.P. are sung entirely in French, but in no way does this detract from the listening experience if (like me) your understanding of the language barely surpasses "Mon anniversaire est le –insert birthday here-". Rather than creating a barrier, it seems no other language but French would work on this record. It presents the best possibilities for Padovani to experiment with sounds and rhythms in order to convey the narrative images of a song. Plus, it just makes the whole thing all the more unique and enjoyable.
I highly recommend giving the video to this single a watch – the barrage of delightfully odd images, colours and characters are strangely mesmerising and strangely appropriate to the song. (What’s not to love about a mountain man, lots of glitter and a little nudity all in one place? I’ve got a strong desire to try that blue dessert...)


The slow percussion and use of synthesizer is more prevalent on the E.P.’s second track "La Chanson du Ciel de Diamants". Here the inclusion of female vocals works well, and the tempo changes add intrigue to the already languid and mysterious atmosphere. Most notable on this track however is the jazz influence that begins to creep in through the building percussion and horn section. Unsurprisingly, this may be the result of having a prominent jazz saxophone artist for a father – Jean-Marc Padovani. Exposure to this music from a young age has undoubtedly influenced Pablo’s debut E.P., but he threads this together with numerous other influences to create his own distinct sound.
Following this is the second single to be taken from the E.P., "De Folie Pure", which pops from the record like a firework. Here the inspiration Padovani takes from world music is most evident, through the guitar and sitar melodies and high-pitched female vocals that nod towards the soundtracks of Bollywood/Lollywood cinema. (For some reason I imagine a 60’s crime caper set in China or Japan…) It’s a vibrant, upbeat song that is almost impossible not to move to, and again, it’s accompanied with a similarly vibrant video that captures the slightly-bizarre-but-enjoyable-party feel of it. During one section, the entire song threatens to unravel and fall apart completely (in a good way) with the Samba-esque drumming and re-appearance of that saxophone. It’s a wonderful burst of controlled musical chaos (which you can view here).
Closing the E.P. is "Je Sais Ce Que Tu Es", a slower and beautifully sublime track that is quite possibly my favourite on the record. It opens with some surprising vocal harmonies that immediately recall Dirty Projectors, and leads into that characteristic guitar sound, jazz percussion and whirring synth. It is here that Padovani best showcases his obvious talent for creating interesting and complex song structures, the tempo shifts again adding an unexpected element. (I have to pinpoint a specific moment on this track – the 1:15 mark. That guitar that comes in. That sound. It brings a smile to my face every time.) After several minutes the song unravels into a more haunting section of cymbal splashes, dissonant piano keys and snatches of howled vocals that reminded me of the opening to Connan Mockasin’s "Forever Dolphin Love".
In fact, parallels between Moodoïd’s E.P. and Connan’s 2011 L.P. could go beyond their innovative takes on psych-pop. Both artists have an uncanny ability to produce not only their own sound but their own world; combining the aural with the visual to create one that is distinctly theirs. Moodoïd’s video for "Je Suis La Montagne" is similar to the one for Connan’s "Forever Dolphin Love" in its use of unusual characters to either convey the song’s narrative, or suitably reflect it. Even without the videos or an understanding of French, Moodoïd’s E.P. succeeds in immersing the listener immediately into his world, and by the end you don’t want to leave. By the end you'll realise you’ve fallen in love with it.
Padovani’s ambition and willingness to experiment has certainly paid off on his debut E.P., resulting in an unexpectedly complex yet hugely enjoyable record that blends influences from several genres and global locations. Go listen to it on the basis that you probably haven’t heard anything like it this year. I hope we’ll be hearing a lot more from Moodoïd.

Moodoïd’s debut E.P. can be downloaded from their Bandcamp page:

The White Kites "Missing" Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

Proving that occasionally you can judge a book by it's cover (or a CD in this case), the colorful sleeve of The White Kites debut looks exactly like it's contents sound - grandiose, plush, regal and with just a hint of carnivale and music hall.
Taking their cue from what sounds like a pretty fantastic vintage U.K record collection and adding a contemporary spit and polish that makes this easy for modern ears to befriend, the debut from this Warsaw based collective is a very ambitious undertaking, and they've got the musical muscle to back it up too.
Ornate and melodic baroque pop for the most part (they cite the Zombies as a primary influence), there are plenty of psychedelic and progressive influences at play too - in fact apart from the modern sounding bells and whistles production quality, there's very little indication that these guys have been influenced by anything after the late seventies.
Despite their mostly Polish roots (vocalist Sean Palmer hails from the U.K), "Missing" has a quintessential Englishness about it that makes it sound like it was conceived on a village green somewhere.
"Stowaway Sylvie" (which throws in a red herring giallo intro) and "Percival Buck" are graduates of the Ray Davies school of observational character study, and bring to mind the fanciful character vignettes that peppered albums by the likes of July and Kaleidoscope long ago.
Flutes and recorders add a distinctive madrigal quality in places, cast through a busy Genesis filter that blurs the lines between folk and prog, while keyboardist Jakub Lenarczyk gets to stretch out on the instrumental coda of the moody, mid paced soft prog of "Beyond The Furthest Star" in a pleasing fashion. Guitarists Bartek Woźniak and Przemek Piłaciński prove their dexterity too with intuitive and lyrical soloing that often recalls David Gilmour, and thrillingly on "The Clown King" a multi tracked Brian May guitar orchestra that's found it's way onto an early Beggars Opera album.
"Missing" is a top album with the sort of A.D.D quality that ensures you'll still be finding surprises on the hundredth listen.
Recommended!

Stream or buy here :