WHITE RAINBOW

Mostly Autumn is an English prog folk band that was formed in 1990 in York, England, but that didn't come to fruition until 1998. All begun when two friends, Bryan Josh and Liam Davison, who started their first steps in music at the same time and with the sole ambition of learn and playing the songs of their favorite band Pink Floyd. They created the basis of Mostly Autumn. The biggest influences of the band are Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Genesis and prog rock bands from the 70's. Their music incorporates diverse folk instruments like flute, bodhram, violins and powerful vocal harmonies.

"White Rainbow" is the thirteenth studio album of Mostly Autumn and that was released in 2018. The line up on "White Rainbow" is Bryan Josh (vocals, guitars and keyboards), Olivia Sparnenn-Josh (lead and backing vocals and bass), Chris Johnson (vocals, guitars, keyboards and bass guitar), Iain Jennings (keyboards, Hammond organ, piano and strings), Angela Gordon (backing vocals, flute and recorders), Andy Smith (bass guitar) and Henry Rogers (drums and percussion). "White Rainbow" had also the participation of Anne-Marie Helder (vocals), Troy Donockley (uillean pipes and whistle), Simon Waggott (Hammond organ), Liam Davison (vocals and guitar) and Gavin Griffiths (drums).

"White Rainbow" is a special album in Mostly Autumn's career. It's dedicated to the memory of the historic guitarist and partner of Bryan, Liam, which passed away in 2017. A loss evidently still not metabolized by Bryan and his companions. As Bryan said, Liam was a dear old friend and a fellow musician 18 years with Mostly Autumn. Since the title and the first two tracks till the last one, we can feel all that. So, we can say that "White Rainbow" is a darker work with many beautiful moments. The music comes across as effervescent, mysterious, and nostalgic. You will again hear weighty portions of folk and Celtic music, but progressive rock shines through in several important moments like the title track.

"Procession" is a short and beautiful Celtic introductory piece with guitar and the uilleann pipes of Donockley setting the mood for a dark album. "Viking Funeral" has an atmosphere full of tension from the beginning. Mystical sounds and synths are in harmony with quite heavy guitars that reminds Pink Floyd. It has an electronic overlay to it that gives it both modern and ancient feelings. The combination is really outstanding. This is one of the centre pieces of the album. "Burn" is a slower affair after the previous tracks. It's the first song with Olivia's lead vocals and the first goose bump moments. It's a brightly shining star in the darkness of this album with huge melodies and this overwhelming sense of longing. "Run For The Sun" is a kind of a development of "Burn", another quiet number. Again Olivia takes the vocals. The song builds up more and more over the time, progressing to march rhythms on the drums and culminating in a highly melodic guitar solo. "Western Skies" starts out as a soaring ballad, but it transitions into an orchestral gallop of huge proportions as is usual with the band. So, one cannot speak of a thoroughbred ballad. It's one of the best tracks on the album. "Into The Stars" is very catchy with a relative specific weight on the album. It's a number that can be called the straightest in the context of the entire album. "Up" is a darker piece led by Josh's voice alternated by a large melodic digression. In the refrain, the singing becomes much more melodic, offering plenty of keys, mainly organ, and culminates in a great guitar solo. "The Undertow" takes us on a tender journey supported by acoustic guitar and organ and boasts a lot of groove. It has a much brighter and airier feel than the rest of the album. "Gone" is a short touching acoustic moment with voice, guitar, keyboards and flute. It was lovely to hear Angela's flute make a return to a Mostly Autumn's album. The title track, itself, is a work of pure brilliance and, in some ways, outshines everything else. It's an epic only in the sense that is almost 20 minutes long. It's split into sections. The way it plays is a real collection of dark transitions that pass through melodic highs to riffing lows. It has poignant and brilliant lyrics and Bryan's gruff vocals against Olivia's powerful soprano form a beautiful contrast. In the middle, we can see references to "Fading Colours" from "Heart Full Of Sky". "Young" has a very obvious theme and lyrically feels like it could be from the first two albums. It's an extreme and heartfelt greeting to the deceased companion able to move you to listen. The vocal duet, the piano accompaniment and the punctual stitching work of the keyboards until the dutiful final crescendo is simply wonderful.

Conclusion: As I mentioned above, "White Rainbow" is a very special album, a tribute to an old friend of Bryan and a founder member of the band, a brilliant tribute to a discreet musician. Due to that, "White Rainbow" is a dark nostalgic album that oscillates between the heavy and effervescent parts and the calm and melodic ones. So, somehow, "White Rainbow" is a prog album in a class of its own. It's an album full of fascinating moments, full of emotions and art. It's also notable for combining male and female vocals and doing it so well. Liam would have been proud. "White Rainbow" is a great prog rock album, a truly wonderful testimony of an excellent band that still can touch deep into your heart.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)