Band: Gong | Album: Bright Spirit | Genre: Progressive rock | Year: 2026
From: London, UK | Label: Kscope
I briefly touched on Gong’s convoluted history and past output in my review of their last album, 2023’s Unending Ascending, so I will not go into it in depth here. But this lineup–long bereft of any original members but operating under the blessing of the band’s late founder–has just put out its fourth full full-length release, Bright Spirit. In general, this album largely stays in line with this incarnation of Gong’s modus operandi. It’s fun and lighthearted prog with heavy psychedelic infusions.
Indic instrumentation kicks the album off on the 10-minute “Dream of Mine”, and that eastern aesthetic is retained once the band joins in. Guitar and sax twist atop a hypnotic rhythm, and the verses are hazy and exotic. As the song enters its midsection, group vocals and an ascendant instrumental backing imbue this piece with a sense of soaring optimism. I love the way the band continually brings back the opening theme; it really helps tie this piece together. The closing passage, in particular, is classic Gong, as they meditate upon that main riff, allowing lush synth pads to swirl around it.
“Mantivule” is more anxious and jumpier in its opening, with speedy palm-muted guitar lines slinking about. The saxophone lines are a bit more easygoing, lending some nice internal variety. Some surprisingly metallic riffage emerges near the middle of this song, and coupled with the jazzy percussion that follows, a comparison to “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic” is warranted.
Rich, gently-warbling synthesizers provide a warm intro to “The Wonderment”. This song is unhurried, but it doesn’t feel dragged out. The soothing atmosphere and deliberate pace add to the sense of, well, wonderment. “Stars in Heaven” draws heavily from ‘90s alt-rock, giving Gong’s usual astral explorations a more-grounded feel. Guitars and sax still float upward, but they attain just minor levitation, as opposed to their usual full-force take-off.
“Fragrance of Paradise” dips into late ‘60s psychedelia in its opening moments, with an Indic-tinged bit of folk rock. Much like incense smoke, the music here drifts slowly and lazily upward, bringing with it a sense of obscure mysticism. Gradually, the music solidifies. Wiry and energetic instrumental lines weave together beneath deliberately-sung verses. The final minutes of this song up the intensity even more, bringing some rather heavy riffs (by Gong standards, at least).
Things slow back down on “Relish the Possibility”. It’s not my favorite song here, but it’s not bad. The textures and overall atmosphere are nice, but it doesn’t do a ton to grab my attention.
The album ends with “Eternal Hand”. Some lyrical motifs reemerge here that were featured earlier in the record, and the mood of the music is slightly haunting but with a glimmer of hope. Flute and jazzy clean guitar interlock to cultivate a delicate and shimmering composition.
Bright Spirit is another solid addition to this current chapter of Gong’s history. Gong isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. Their brand of smooth and spacey psychedelic prog works well. This is probably my least-favorite of this lineup’s four albums, to be entirely honest, but that’s not for a lack of good material. The other three records, for me at least, simply had higher highs. While just about everything here is really solid, there aren’t any killer, knock-out songs.
Score: 76/100
The Elite Extremophile 