SPACE KITCHEN

— First review of this album —

"What's Cookin'?" was launched in March 2024 as the second ep of an Ontario-based duo SPACE KITCHEN. They have already released their debut eponymous ep last year, where we can hear lovely catchy approaches tinged with progressive essence. Their latest stuff sounds more of a smart pop than the previous one. Pretty appropriate for us to get more active and more delightful.

"Lovin' 9 To 5" consists of cool tight beats created by strict rhythmic kicks and dramatic guitar flows. Slightly complicated vibes can be easily accepted. Reminds me of the similar vein to YMO in the 'Naughty' era. "Believer Deceiver" is another power rock. Speedy percussive punches pump us up. Yes, a clearly vivacious atmosphere is good, and simple pop / rock launchers are not bad either. In "Life At Sea" more dramatic movements can be enjoyed. There is no lunacy nor burden around their creation as well. Happiness is a warm gem ... guess we could feel so.

Yes, not bad as a pop ep. Recommended if you are depressed at a hard time. You will get fine.

Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Space Kitchen is a duo formed by Rob Howell and Robbie Carvalho, with the former providing keyboards and the latter bass, drums, guitar and lead vocals (apart from closing number "Pain Goblin" where Rob takes the lead and also provide bass and acoustic guitar). I must admit the first time I listened to this I really wasn't sure as it all felt a little prog lite to me, along with vocals which were more alternative/indie even than neo, but the more I kept playing this the more I realised the issue was more with my own perceptions and attempting to pigeonhole the sound as opposed to really listening to what was going on. The thing is, this actually isn't a prog album per se, but rather it is an Eighties pop rock album with progressive influences, and once one just listens to the songs without any preconceived ideas of what it should be like it seems all so much better.

There are plenty of hooks contained within this EP, which is just seven songs and 26 minutes long. Rob's vocals are very different indeed to Robbie's, but I am sure that is not the only reason why "Pain Goblin" has been placed at the end as it is very different indeed to the other six tracks. This is the most overtly progressive of all the songs and allows Rob to provide a nicely constructed guitar solo as we also touch into areas of psychedelia. This definitely feels like a band at the beginning of their career who are working out what they want to achieve and how they are going to go about it. I am sure we will hear more from these guys, and it will be intriguing to see what they come up with next.

Love such a mixture of power pop and progressive rock that gives us a huge encouragement. An Ontario-oriented duo SPACE KITCHEN have released the self-titled debut EP finally in April 2023 for launching their intensive spacey expedition. Catchy music communication would be approved not only by progressive rock fans but also by pop / authentic rock lovers ... we can have such an impression via the departure "The Arrival", one of the most enjoyable gifts by them. The combination of simple but energetic melody lines and not-so-good but lively voices is quite cheerful for us.

In "Zoo Keeper" we are immersed in dreamy keyboard streams in a short pop track. Interesting to hear their diligent singing (good good). The longest stuff "Moving Picture" is produced with a mysterious atmosphere, awkward polyrhythms, sticky melodic repetitions, and acceptable keyboard-based spacey basements. Guess they would have been aware of kinda merger of space rock and heavy progressive. The shortest one but pretty attractive is "The Squig" filled with technical rhythmic bases and complex sound texture. How amazing. "The following "Sun Tower" reminds us of the similarity to new-era Genesis or Neo-Prog sensation but they do not forget pop essence in it.

Totally their debut ep does not have such an innovative element nor strict originality but gives us amusement and gentleness and nostalgia for rock. We should keep an eye on their activity from now on, yes!

It's not often I trip across a new band of younglings that remind me of E.L.O. and Camel. Even more cool, the singer kind of sounds like Joey Ramone, so there's a tinge of a punk or new wave 80s attitude. Mix this all together and you get Space Kitchen, a band out of Ontario Canada that's genuinely fun to listen to.

Lots of newer prog bands are exploring the harder metal territories of the genre, but Space Kitchen proves there's still young visionaries who are inspired by the under-represented poppier and straight forward classic rock sounds of the 70s and 80s.

This band is not tied down by the popular ProTool grids of today- there are timing changes and fluctuations that allow the music to breathe as sections and movements evolve. There are plenty of rich vocal harmonies as well.

"So nice to be here, but I'm going home" reads a line of lyrics that perhaps captures the vision of the band- staying true to an inner vision that goes against the norms of popular music.

Tracks 1 and 2 are 'up' beat songs, 3 gets darker and tracks 4 through 7 unapologetically explore the prog domain.

Another treat to the ears about this band is the generous use of piano and keyboards like in I Love You Baby which also features a soulful guitar solo.

Songs like Zoo Keeper, short as it is, is large, broad, menacing in parts, with jangly guitars and dark synths and drums that rattle the cages.

With The Moving Picture I have to ask: Do we have a new inspired prog classic? Space Kitchen reveal they have a substantial vision featuring some intricate ELP-ish 70s prog vibes, epic bass riff lines... rousing stuff.

The Squig is a great little instrumental where Space Kitchen breaks out the rock organ, and Sun Tower...hold on tight to your horses folks. Some Genesis and Steve Hackett vibes- with some great bass lines.

The self-titled album, which is EP length, resolves perfectly with Pain Goblin and some absolutely brilliant reversed bass. At that point you may feel impelled, like me, to restart the album- I find two listens in a row at least are needed.

I quite like the production - it's a bit home-spun and garagey but it is a tad dry at times- needing some engineering tweaks to add more energy and space to the drum kit or keyboards for example. All that is quite forgivable however as Space Kitchen are full of promise if they are going to stay the course for the long run. It seems they are an indie band without any label at the moment, but for how long till they come knocking?

It's fresh, fun and intelligent prog-influenced music for a new generation of music fans.

Sometimes I feel like a phony when it comes to my prog love. I mean, I neither have the education nor the patience for complex time changes and self idolizing virtuosity, and my preferred bands in the genre tend to be described as low to middling complexity. I don't coddle the big baker's half dozen groups enough and I loathe the ones who started off somewhat clean and ended up sullenly recycling the same supercilious orchestral riffs or whiny vocals until we helped fulfill their multi platinum aspirations in a perverse power grab capitulation. Well, we did have a lot of help there from the mainstream, but you hopefully don't quite get my point.

All that said in a labyrinthine way, I do have a soft spot for some of the most maligned works by our heroes who somehow remain unforgiven for a diversion or two while we green light demi catalogues of dreck among others. For instance, I would never say that CAMEL's "A Single Factor" is anything other than one of their weakest efforts, but I still find much to enjoy there and in STEVE HACKETT's "Cured", both demonstrating the artists' ability to implement a hook. I also felt more vindicated than sad when these guilty pleasures brought so little of the same to the general public, since it meant I could still discern quality fun from the dross that actually climbed the charts. No snickering! Even MIKE OLDFIELD's infectious poppier works from the 1980s, as successful as they were on the continent and widely ignored in most of North America, just made me feel smugger about my proxy Euro credentials and love of a dressed up jig. Then there was the ALAN PARSONS project which somehow threaded the needle and were both popular and at least tepidly entertaining into the 1980s.

When a band like new Canadian duo SPACE KITCHEN falls into my electronic lap, and calls to mind a peppy distillation of the named acts and career phases above, I am glad to indulge the pop fan in me while not abandoning the prog fan, if indeed they are at all distinct. This debut EP offers up crystalline keys, soaring guitar solos and appealing vocals that does more than strengthen my upstairs argument to explain why crossover prog is everyone's 3rd or 4th favourite sub genre. The first 3 numbers deliver toe tapping accessibility and pleasure. If the most attractive aspect of "Moving Picture" and "Sun Tower" is the sub two minute instrumental between them, the band roars back with a worthy closer to settle my nerves a bit. I realize that to many the two named tracks will probably the only salvation for this promising debut, but please see paragraphs 1 and 2.

Being a band of only two members, the Canadians "Space Kitchen" are nevertheless skilled enough to cover all the musical edges of their debut; fresh airs that blow firmly and without excessive frills, with vocal reminiscences of Jeff Lynne's Electric Light Orchestra, round off their homonymous EP.

Starting with a couple of straightforward tracks of frugal digestion, such as the easygoing "The Arribal" and the resigned return of the protagonist of the story to his family home, including the reunion with Kipp, the pet canine, and the broken "I Love You Baby", Space Kitchen exhibits enormous potential; as evidenced by the powerful "Moving Picture", a sequence of elaborate developments with Rob Howell's keyboards setting the pace and a dramatic, choked guitar solo by Robbie Carvalho, which would have deserved to be extended a few more instrumental passages given its solid construction, as well as the doubled and metaphorical "Sun Tower", rounded off with some nods that remind us at times of their legendary compatriots Rush from the second stage.

And to ratify the concept, the dense and strange "Pain Goblin" and its hypnotic mid-tempo adorned by a very nice guitar solo by Carvalho, closes the more than interesting debut of the Canadians. It's worth keeping an eye on them.

3/3.5 stars