THE PHILOMATH

2015 has proven a great year for several genres, not so much prog but the muses have shone their light upon a multitude of bands and artists from disparate corners of the musical world to bring forth more great albums than can be easily counted. Much of this providence was quickly apparent as the year got under way, as successive better and better albums within short time spans quickly led to an embarrassment of riches, but I had no idea that this year would be so good to post rock too until this project came to my attention for evaluation.

Said project's debut, "The Philomath", is the most unique post record in a year that's also given us a The World Is A Beautiful Place... album, which says a lot right there, and also manages to be something intriguing and beautiful. The album is driven not by guitar but piano, sounding almost as much of a Bill Evans project as the Sam Morgan post rock project it is. The use of guitar is rather subtle and gentle, but unleashes beauty and power to rival an Explosions In The Sky release. And from soft rains and swirling waves of water comes spoken word foundations, the core of the record's structure and the prime source of its freshness. There is a strength all its own in the literary and poetic quotes used, and it completes an atmosphere of olden wonder and aquatic gorgeousness. And to connect everything, there is a solid and meaningful progression through the instruments to link together the vocals and the various points of textural excellence. Altogether this is a journey out to sea, back in time, and away from the troubles of life, towards a forgotten rest spot through philosophical musings and the power of good music.

Transmigrant's 2015, "The Philomath" moves along in this dirty Post Rock/Math Rock environments with a subtle and Jazzy grace by withholding the electric guitar's characteristic participation, most of the times, in favor of strings or piano (or even brass sections) based compositions.

Sam Morgan this one man project band plays all instruments with the addition of Grace Marsell (vocals on 2 tracks).

The concept of the album is enhanced by the contrast of very hard rocking Post Rock/Math Rock elements (noisy, lo-fi, bombastic, etc.) counterpointed by opposite elements as free-Jazz, Symphonic, progressive electronic and acoustic folk influences. The exercise of this blending of styles offers unique moments of beauty and kind of holds a strange quality of an old times Big Band without sounding like one.

If I could mention some kind of prog referential, Sparkle in Grey is a good example.

Above all the real deal is the daring, but clean, experimental singularity of its musical idiom, which promises future 4 or 5 stars projects.

As for now a very good ***3.5 PA stars release.