TO FOLLOW POLARIS (AS THE TANGENT FOR ONE)

This is a very unusual release in that when discussions commenced as to when the band could get together to work on the next album following on from 2022's 'Songs From The Hard Shoulder' it was not going to be easy given that band members could be seen onstage all over the world with Steve Hackett, Soft Machine, Karnataka, David Cross, It Bites, Cyan and others, plus on recordings by those artists and The Anchoret, The Michael Dunn Project, Argos and Retreat From Moscow. In fact, apart from a solitary gig in April 2023 it was unlikely anything could be achieved, so what to do? They came up with an interesting compromise in that the band's leader/main writer Andy Tillison would keep the material coming and then record the album on his own, hence the slight amendment to the band name ? this is not expected to a permanent or long-term arrangement, but rather that Andy would do this one by himself and everyone else will return for the next one.

What transpired over the following year is in one sense an "absolutist" solo album and is entirely the work of one person in all aspects including artwork, layout, design, lyrics, composition, performance, recording, production, mixing, mastering and authoring. But in another sense, it's totally Tangent. Produced between January and November 2023, the album features Andy using his multiple keyboards system as normal but adds to the mix his first ever released performance on Bass Guitar and his second on stick driven (electronic) drums. Add electric and acoustic guitars and electronic wind controller and this is a full band recording in every sense of the word. Anyone who has followed Andy over the years will not find any of this surprising, as the man has always been a huge talent, and I loved his work with PO90. Back in the 90's when he was also a Diskdrive his work with Guy Manning was exceptional and that has only continued as he has been working with other musicians and even states this album would not have been possible if he had not been working with the likes of Luke, Jonas, Steve, Theo and past members of his bands.

He has always been massively influenced by Peter Hammill (check out the excellent 'No More Travelling Chess' if you can find it) and here he has allowed himself to move The Tangent slightly more in that direction but what is remarkable is that unless one has read somewhere that this is a solo release one would never believe it, as this feels like a band taking the next step in their musical journey, not one person in a studio sweating over every aspect. It is easy for solo musicians to get wrapped up in the performance as opposed to the outcome, but there is no doubt that here Andy has stayed true to his vision for the band and has produced an album the rest of the guys would have been happy to play on if they had had the time and availability. The listener may start by thinking how clever it is, but soon falls into enjoying this very British prog album, which builds on what has come before and prepares us for the future.

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.