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NOW YOU SEE ME

Colin Mold

Prog Folk


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Colin Mold Now You See Me album cover
4.07 | 29 ratings | 3 reviews | 45% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2014

Songs / Tracks Listing


1. Shelter (5:07)
2. Eye of the Wind (4:37)
3. Blood on Your Hands (7.23)
4. Amelia-the Vagabond (6.01)
5. Will We Ever Return (6.04)
6. The Follower-Jonestown Lament (7.19)
7. Blue Wings (5.10)
8. Running Dry (5.47)
9. Now You See Me (6.31)
10. My Celtic Home (5.58)

Total Time 59 min

Line-up / Musicians


- Colin Mold / guitars, Keys, bass, violin, drums and vocals
- Michelle Glover/backing vocals

Releases information

CPMCD003

Thanks to tszirmay for the addition
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COLIN MOLD Now You See Me ratings distribution


4.07
(29 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(45%)
45%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(34%)
34%
Good, but non-essential (17%)
17%
Collectors/fans only (3%)
3%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

COLIN MOLD Now You See Me reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by tszirmay
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
5 stars Now I See You!

When considering Colin Mold's third release after 2007's "Water of Divinity" and 2012's "A Girl on Castle Steps", the latter being quite a revelation , I had to take into consideration that I was and will continue to be an ardent follower and fan of such a gifted artist, so I will be biased and totally opinionated . I relish all of his work, including the 'very raw' Kara project, his first recording adventure. Upon listening to "A Girl..." the very first time, I knew that I had found another artist that simply fit neatly into my personal conception of music, armed with a haunting voice that, simply put, resonated very deeply within my soul, for reasons that I do not and care not to understand.

While nowhere near the hyper-complex poly-rhythmic prog-rock that we all enjoy, the music of Colin Mold is utterly honest, oozing from a sensitive soul who expresses himself with a great amount of humility, originality and personality. Having been a music teacher as well as a touring member of Karnataka proves that he possesses chops and skills that are clearly beyond the ordinary. His guitar playing is exemplary, a style that is passionate and highly compact, somewhere between Steve Hackett and Iona's Dave Bainbridge, while he handles symphonic keyboards as well as occasional piano and uses the violin to heighten the effects that he wishes to depict. Lyrically, he also depends on Cindy L. Spear to provide some emphasis to Colin's picturesque yet simply expressed instrumentals, exuding just the right amount of sonic grandeur and preciousness.

But where Colin Mold really outclasses the competition in the singer-songwriter category, is his ownership of a drop-dead beautiful voice, an extremely expressive delivery as well as a tone that is plainly amazing. He sings with great passion, not just obvious skill. In our beloved genre, the level of instrumental musicianship is first rate and without any uncertainty, the cream of the rock crop. But when Greg Lake (bless his heart), still wins prog vocalist polls in 2014, you can only surmise that prog is not exactly microphone heaven! There is a paucity of truly world class voices and many otherwise stellar recordings are diminished by some rather unremarkable vocals. Colin owns a warm, suave, suggestive, passionate, fragile yet powerful tone that seems to emote very convincingly, at least to my ears. Listening to it is sheer panacea, a healing disposition that never fails to amaze and charm. In terms of comparison, let us imagine a mixture of Justin Hayward, Simon Lebon, Tony Hadley, Peter Gabriel or Chris Deburgh, not exactly a shabby crew by any standards. Regardless, I always get the impression, a rare one I must admit, that he is singing for just me, so how could I not be enthused?

Colin is one of us, a gifted man living a typical life, with all its routines, its comforts and its disappointments, especially when dealing as we must with fellow human beings, who are not always saints and often sinners. "Now You See Me" is quite appropriately titled, the music is way more vocal-centric than before, as if he decided to create something even more personal than in the past. There are 10 lovely songs on the menu, nothing too long or too brief, just perfect little nuggets that shine in the bright light of recognition and appreciation.

"Shelter" is a not a version of the Rolling Stones classic (thankfully, I dislike their music forcefully), a rollicking opener nevertheless that immediately goes for a rhythmic jugular, get the juices boiling , and as such, a perfect appetizer. Bouncy, upbeat and confident, this will get one's toes tapping in a hurry, a haunting melody and a surging vocal to prove the point.

Things get somewhat more symphonic and grandiose with "Eye of the Wind", a Celtic-tinged masterpiece that features a grandiloquent yet surly axe solo that screeches boldly, right from the opening bars. Evocative commentary on contemporary issues as 'the mystery of life unfolds again', the modern delivery seeks to appeal and it does so convincingly amid 'the dark troubled times'. Call this CNN-prog, if you wanna!

The lengthiest track is the 7 minute 23 epic "Blood on Your Hands", a moody hymn that takes no shortcuts and introduces once more some towering guitar playing of the highest order. Colin's voice is spell-binding, deeply resonating, vivid and dignified. There is a strong Gabriel feel here that only adds to the glory. The song's dynamics are thrilling, aided by some precise backing vocals, creating an ebb and flow from serene to explosive that keeps the heart beating wildly. Lovely stuff, indeed.

The gripping beauty of "Amelia- the vagabond" will waste little time in forging a profound sense of epiphany, a progressive song of the highest order that expresses brilliantly the story of the intrepid aviator who disappeared into the Pacific mist and into legend for ever after. With a solitary voice and piano (like the plane and her pilot), Colin weaves a liberating voyage of uncharted discovery and heroic adventure. The sumptuous guitar underlines the dramatic undercurrents, the sorrow of her disappearance and the ongoing mystery surrounding her whereabouts (like Malaysian Airlines 370, nothing was ever found, only further perpetuating her myth!). Tremendous symphonic adornments with dense mellotron and synth work only maintain the melancholic nature of the breathtaking piece.

The celestial "Will We Ever Return" is another scorching hymn, packing a stupendous chorus that is beyond description, as that masterful voice seeks to convince and seduce once again. Damn that man can sing! "Will we ever come back to the garden we once knew, to the paradise we left", I mean really! Simple yet effective words, no mumbo-jumbo gobbly-gook, again seared by some sizzling guitar forays that reach for the heavens. A 'longing for' ballad that luxuriates in ethereal melodicism, deeply sensitive and wrapped in a ravishing pulse. The definition of gorgeous.

"The Follower-Jonestown Lament" is the second longest piece, a harrowing essay on the power of manipulative discourse and how it can influence otherwise normal people, as historically expressed by the Jonestown mass suicide in Guyana, where 909 devout followers of Reverend Jim Jones committed suicide with Kool-Aid laced with cyanide. A harbinger of Waco, Heaven's Gate and the Temple of the Sun Order mass suicides that stunned the world. Colin spares little restraint in expressing the confusion of obedience, the steadfast belief in utopic irrational-ism and human willingness to believe in the unknown. Just a sensational prog song of the very highest pedigree.

After such a slew of rather epic, sad and forlorn material, "Blue Wings" comes across as somewhat more positive and upbeat, Colin unleashing some Oldfield like fret-board arches, the sun is out, the sky is blue. All is well in progland.

"Running Dry" is another winner, a compact, restrained and highly melodic ditty, again with a chorus that comes right out of recent Peter Gabriel, with blazing synth backdrops, aggressive guitar and loopy bass, all pushing the envelope further, finished off by some surly and twisting guitar phrasings. The lyrics again address the frail human condition and how we constantly and resoundingly find ways to screw up the lovely planet we live on, breathing the same air and yet finding ways for strife and pain to overrule. 'Can we survive?'

The title track is a total groove piece, a cool rhythm spearheads the progression of the melody, the chugging Gabriel-esque mood is even more evident with the Eastern-tinged violin and the splendid lyrics that evoke the former Genesis front-man quite reverently. The chorus is world-class mind blower, sticking madly to the pleasure nodes and giving the cortex a good sonic massage. Wiggling bass really does the convincing, propelling the mood forward. Colin peels off a bewitching solo on his trusted guitar that seals the deal in the most comfortable manner possible.

"My Celtic Home" ends this spectacular album of a high note, an obviously progressive piece that targets the uniqueness of Celtic music and how it has been influenced and how it continues to influence world music. Ornate piano and that sultry voice glide over poignant 'wild horses' lyrics, something about 'ancient stories' and 'Celtic crosses', allied with dense orchestrations and a glorious sense of pride and accomplishment. Colin anoints some violin flutters to compliment the guitar dance. Just plain brilliant, uplifting and romantic music.

Fans of recent Peter Gabriel will also enjoy this genial artist immensely, an honest, humble and original addition to the prog universe, who needs not to overplay his numerous talents and keeps everything pure and simple. The quality of the material is off the charts, a truly magnificent set of songs. Another gorgeous and highly quixotic musical adventure, the real Colin Mold has shown himself again.

5 progressive optometrists

Review by LearsFool
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Colin Mold's most recent effort is a nice piece of proggy folk and soft rock, and makes for a pretty, relaxing listen. "Will We Ever Return" is the best track, offering the best use of electric guitar with its wailing yet soft solos. And throughout the album, Colin sings beautifully. Nobody can really fault this record. It, however, doesn't feel like much to write home about. Even with its beauty, aside from "Will We Ever Return" no track sticks out, and there isn't anything particularly new, or exciting. Colin has a lot of talent, and it gets used, but not, I think, anywhere near its fullest. Maybe one day he can turn this nice style of his to unique things. So not a special or important album, but I would still recommend it for what it is worth.
Review by lazland
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars I purchased this album on the strength of my good friend Thomas' (Tszirmay) review, because, generally, we tend to enjoy the same music.

For what is so obviously an individual labour of love (Mold does it all on this work), so utterly home produced, the thing that strikes one upon hearing it is just how good the production and feel of the album is. The sound and vocals are utterly lush, as if, somehow, a David Hentschel, or similar luminary, had been sneaked into the home studio, twiddled the knobs, and left, with no credit to his name at all.

Mold has a plaintive, questing, and extremely pleasing voice. The emotion, see Will We Ever Return especially, an incredibly thoughtful song, is striking. His musicianship is of the highest order, and the backing vocals provided by Michelle Glover add very decent layers to the textures that the ears find so immensely pleasing.

There is a lot going on in this album, and the trick Mold pulls off is the very difficult one of making extremely accessible music in the context of progressive soundscapes. Not many pull it off, and it is done here with aplomb.

There is not one bum track, and my favourite amongst a really good bunch of tracks is Amelia (The Vagabond), a gorgeous paeon to the intrepid aviator who met her premature end somewhere over The Pacific Ocean. A thoughtful and lovely lyric, with some exceptional guitar work to take us soaring above the clouds whilst listening.

This is the kind of artist for whom this site was invented. A talented man, utterly honest in his endeavours, ploughing what must be, at times, a fairly lonely furrow bringing his music to a wider audience. The keyboard and guitar work, especially, deserve such an audience.

Well, this reviewer, for one, can wholly recommend a delicious slab of beautiful, pastoral, modern and commercial progressive folk rock.

Four stars. Quite excellent, so thank you Colin, Thomas, and, of course, Caerllysi Music from whom this was purchased - please support independent music outlets.

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