TO FOLLOW POLARIS (AS THE TANGENT FOR ONE)

Never knew The Tangent could come as "for one" but 2024's 'To Follow Polaris' sees Andy Tillison, the creative mastermind behind the prolific prog band, necessitated to write and record their new album completely on his own, inspired and supported by his bandmates, who are otherwise busy with their other involvements. And this fantastic new project perfectly embodies the concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk, the total work of art, as Tillison handles not only all instruments (all sorts of keyboards, synths, pianos and electronic instruments, bass guitar, electric and acoustic guitar, drums and woodwinds), but he is also responsible for production, engineering, the album art and the recording of the promotional music videos for the album, and the end result is, as you might have guessed, as good as ever. 'To Follow Polaris' happens to be one of the most upbeat, unpredictable and optimistic albums in The Tangent's catalogue, even if it follows closely the stylistic footprint of the last couple of albums.

The five new tracks see Andy Tillison at his most anthemic and perhaps most exhaustively imaginative as the prog meister crafts some expansive melodies and graceful sonic soundscapes, and the mere fact that he recorded every single bit of this album by himself is beyond impressive, given that 'To Follow Polaris' is not some muddy indie-rock soup, but a full-blown prog rock record with all the "mandatory" quirks of the genre. 11-minute opener 'The North Sky' is the most upbeat piece on the album, the angular synths and the tasty rhythms here set up a nice tone to the record and the entire composition just works really well. 'A Like in the Darkness' is a more cynical, and even darker number that sees Andy Tillison exploring the jazzier side of The Tangent's music. Then comes the excellent neo-Canterbury mini-suite 'The Fine Line', on which the album's mastermind shares some of his (critical) concerns about the political and social climate of his country - the music, on the contrary, is playful and melodic and fits in perfectly with the moodier side of the band's more recent releases. 'The Anachronism' is the fourth entry on the album, and with its twenty-one minutes of playtime, it is the perfect epic piece, it is heavier and more complex than the rest of the album and just so happens to be one of the tastiest long numbers recorded by Tillison, a great and uncompromising work. Finally, we have 'The Single' taking a jab at the music industry, a fun pop-prog song that oversees a more accessible sound.

And with all this in mind, one could not help but enjoy this album by The Tangent (for One) - it has all the necessary elements of a benchmark retro prog album, and even if it might not shake up or redefine the musical climate of the genre, it is a great ode to everything that makes this band compelling and fun to listen to.

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