A delightful and beautifully constructed album where melody is paramount.
ny album featuring Jon Anderson will be compared to his former band, Yes, because of both his distinctive voice and idiosyncratic lyrics; however, this collaboration with Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings, Transatlantic) has avoided the pitfall of aping the classic Yes sound and has produced something that will stand on its own merits. I credit Stolt (maybe wrongly), who's created a musical landscape that steers, for the most part, away from the ubiquitous "Yes" sound. Of course there are hints in this direction, but not too many. Mind you, why not play "spot the Rick Wakeman keyboard solo"?
The idea blossomed during the Progressive Nation At Sea Cruise in 2014. Over eighteen months the pair swapped ideas, then refined them until March 2015 when Stolt gathered an ensemble to create the music live in the studio; this being Tom Brislin & Lalle Larsson (keys), Jonas Reingold & Michael Stolt (bass) and Felix Lehrmann (drums); backing vocals are by Daniel Gildenlöw, Nad Sylvan, Maria Rerych and Kristina Westas.
The nine tracks are bracketed together to form four suites: the three-part title piece, the two-part 'Knowing', 'Everybody Heals' (three more), and the solo 'Know...'. 'Invention' is a cheerful song that has a great refrain, and feels mighty, thanks to orchestral touches and the glorious backing vocals. Stolt's guitar solo is delightful. Considering Anderson's previous health issues, he sounds on top form and powerful. 'We Are Truth' has a TFK vibe to start with, but the vocals give it a different feel; again, the closing guitar solo is superb. 'Knowledge' maintains the melody quota at max – the richness and depth of the music is extremely impressive. 'Knowing' has a wistful opening but picks up pace developing into a multi-faceted, yet cohesive number.
'Chase And Harmony' is different because it's piano led; the melodies are wonderful, as is the following '...Heals', which makes me think of TFK in structure. 'Better By Far' is a short piece that features the piano again, while 'Golden Light' has some delicious bass notes that will gladden the heart of any Prog fan. The expansive vocal arrangement and harmonies are wonderful, and the Keith Emerson-ish piano outro is lovely. 'Know' closes the album with a slight ethnic feel crossed with soft Jazz undercurrent.
This is a delightful and beautifully constructed album where melody is paramount; one can simply immerse oneself and enjoy.
Gary Marshall
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