Reviewed: 2019-05-22
Genre: General
FCCs: none
Review: And now for something completely different. Bezar’s voice comes in singing a melody full of unusual intervals, with perfect vibrato and good enunciation. You would be right to think this sounds like a trained voice, but it’s taken to places opera singers don’t go. There are choruses of background singers. The lyrics are clever and full of imagery. The backing musicians are immersed in both jazz and progressive rock, and navigate the song’s complex harmonic structure with natural ease
If You Like: Kate Bush, Elizabeth Fraser, Loreena McKennitt, Linda Perhacs
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ The Longest Way (4:54) – cacophonous synth starts> sonic midtempo song with soaring vocals> instrumental break to fade
**2/ Motherlode (6:01) – guitar starts> uptempo song with cascading instruments & vocals> pause> rocking uptempo song> slow fade
*3/ Frontier (4:32) – electric piano/synth starts> slow song swells in volume & intensity, then mellows again> instrumental break to fade
**4/ Out Of The Moment (5:24) – full band starts> uptempo rocker> slows to fade> pause> slow song swings uptempo & rocking again> slinky guitar solo> uptempo jam> fade
5/ Simple Silent Star (4:35) – piano starts> slow song> fade> pause> slow song> quick stop
*6/ Skyline (5:14) – guitar starts> uptempo sonic rock jam> uptempo song> music & vocals soar> sonic instrumental break to slow fade on heavy chords
***7/ Four Hands (5:52) – synth starts> midtempo song over sonic jam> song soars with chorus> chorus & song build in volume & intensity to a crescendo> pause> slow song slow fade
8/ Open Circuit (1:52) – synth starts> slow sonic instrumental space jam builds to midtempo> fade
*9/ Standing Waves (6:18) – synth starts> slow song builds in volume & intensity> pause> sonic instrumental jam with guitar on top> midtempo song builds in volume & intensity, then slows to fade
**10/ Nonstop Flight (5:20) – piano/organ starts> uptempo song> shifts to midtempo with soaring vocals> brief guitar solo shifts to rocking uptempo song> guitar solo> fade
**11/ Stray Pines (4:53) – mellow guitar starts> midtempo song with ethereal vocal> piano/synth duet> midtempo song swells in volume> slow fade
*12/ Quarter Moon (6:20) – guitar starts> midtempo sonic song swells in volume, then mellows> piano/guitar duet swings into uptempo jam> crescendo end
*13/ Treeburst (2:34) – synth starts with echoing vocals, builds in volume & intensity> quick stop
**14/ Floating Bridges (6:12) – synth starts> uptempo song swells in volume & intensity> instrumental break to fade
***15/ Headlands (6:29) – organ/piano starts> slow song builds in vocal complexity> slows to fade on piano