Band: Mesmerians | Album: Somni eònic | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp
The latest EP from this Catalan quartet blends hard-hitting heavy psych with complex song structures and exciting playing. The four songs here range from crushing, Elder-influenced stormers to lighter pieces that draw equally from acts of the late ‘60s and the relatively sunny prog of the early ‘90s. It’s a diverse release with a lot of strong songwriting.
Score: 82/100
Band: Murrayglossus | Album: Vigor | Genre: Post-metal | Bandcamp
Murrayglossus’s second release is a doomy-yet-warm collection of instrumental compositions. Guitar lines are expansive and unpredictable, and the band is successful at infusing the usual vocabulary of post-metal with a bit more vigor. Influences from stoner metal, krautrock, and even a bit of jazz help to keep this release varied and interesting.
Score: 78/100
Artist: Alexander Nantschev | Album: Your Star Smells Like Mine | Genre: Progressive rock, Psychedelic rock | Bandcamp
Your Star Smells Like Mine consists of a lot of fun, pleasant passages. The textures and tones are nice, and I really like the production. Dashes of classical and world music provide some fun points of variation, and the songwriting is strong.The main issue with the album are the vocals, which are somewhat weak. But if you can overlook that, there is a great blend of intelligent, artsy, and catchy moments here.
Score: 76/100
Band: The Orchestra (For Now) | Album: Plan 75 | Genre: Progressive rock, Avant-prog | Bandcamp
This release is alright. The Orchestra (For Now) is related to The Windmill scene, which spawned acts like Squid and black midi, and those influences are worn plainly on their sleeves. Cuts vary between stripped-back minimalism, lush passages with chamber music instruments, and punk-tinged spasms of proggy fury. The vocals are half-sung, half-spoken, and the lyrics (which this style puts a lot of weight on), are fine, I suppose. The bigger issue, though, is that for how unique this scene supposedly is, the bands all bear a striking similarity to one another, and it’s growing a bit stale for me. I love Squid’s debut, but their last two albums failed to resonate with me. black midi did the best job at being distinctive, but they are no more; and Geordie Greep’s solo debut was overlong and overwrought.
Getting back to this particular EP, there are some very strong moments. “The Strip” is the best song here, and the other three all have their moments of brilliance. But taken in the context of the broader musical scene, there’s a certain triteness that leaves me heaving a sigh of frustration. The inclusions of certain avant-garde and classical/chamber influences come off as a veneer slapped onto a typical rock song with a mildly atypical structure.
Sorry, The Orchestra (For Now). Your newest EP is enjoyable, but you just happened to be my whipping boy for what have been some growing annoyances with the broader scene you’re a part of.
Score: 70/100
Artist: Cos Sylvan | Album: Everybody’s Dog | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp
Two years after his stellar EP, Rayless, Cos Sylvan is back with another impressive three-song release. His unique blend of driving, powerful progressive rock and often-airy vocals help him stand out; and his songwriting is always inventive. “Velleities” churns and thunders, and the lead guitar parts have a distinct, compressed sound that stands out above the fuzz of the backing. The title track has a laid-back grooviness I love, and it makes some great post-punk allusions. Its second half features exhilarating, technical instrumental excursions. And “Never Seen God” is the least “progressive” of the three songs here, but it’s still melodic, engaging, and a fitting conclusion to this EP.
Score: 95/100
Band: Tuval and the Sands | Album: Cosmos | Genre: Psychedelic rock | Bandcamp
This London-based group plays a dreamy, floating variety of psychedelia. Things drift along lightly with rich and complex textures. The melodies are catchy, and there’s a lovely warmth to the whole record. While there are certainly similarities to classic psych acts, this EP has more in common with modern neo-psych bands. Mellow Beast, a band I’ve covered several times on this site, is an especially apt parallel.
Score: 76/100
The Elite Extremophile 