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CARY GRACE

Psychedelic/Space Rock • United Kingdom


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Cary Grace picture
Cary Grace biography
Born in South Carolina, USA

Cary Grace composes, produces and performs music, which is strongly related to the classic British psychedelic progressive rock sound. She was born in United States, where she started her musical career. In 2005 she moved to England, and also then directed more strongly to British prog sound in her music. On her records she sings, and plays both guitar and vintage synthesizers. With her collaborators she creates moody music with strong composed melodies and lyrics, and also providing space for free cosmic jammings. The melodic side of her music could be compared to early 1970's Pink Floyd, and the sound of analogue synthesizers in the improvisational sequences has little similar feeling as some of the Hawkwind records have. These elements are accompanied with both folk rock moments, slow cosmic bluesy passages and heavier guitar riff patterns. The most disturbing avantgarde solutions are not used, helping to create pleasant, sincere and emotional musical experience. Her records are recommended to the listeners interested of classic Brittish psychedelic progressive sound of the seventies.

Eetu Pellonpää 2009/2017

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CARY GRACE discography


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CARY GRACE top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

2.00 | 2 ratings
Book Of Rhymes
2004
3.83 | 13 ratings
Where You Go
2007
3.50 | 6 ratings
Projections
2008
4.03 | 17 ratings
Perpetual Motion
2009
4.00 | 3 ratings
Monday Machines (as Monday Machines)
2010
3.52 | 10 ratings
Constant Things
2011
4.01 | 18 ratings
Tygerland
2015
3.85 | 41 ratings
Lady of Turquoise
2020

CARY GRACE Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 7 ratings
The Uffculme Variations
2016

CARY GRACE Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

CARY GRACE Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.20 | 6 ratings
Covers Volume I
2018

CARY GRACE Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

0.00 | 0 ratings
Pandora
2007
4.83 | 4 ratings
Mendip Rock
2008
4.00 | 1 ratings
Vanishing
2009
4.02 | 4 ratings
Green Carrot Jam
2009
3.87 | 4 ratings
Take This Love With You
2010
5.00 | 1 ratings
Fat Old Sun
2017
3.00 | 1 ratings
Without a Trace
2017
3.00 | 1 ratings
Sacrifice
2019

CARY GRACE Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Lady of Turquoise by GRACE, CARY album cover Studio Album, 2020
3.85 | 41 ratings

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Lady of Turquoise
Cary Grace Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars Some interesting spacey-psychedelic sound arrangements of some VERY simple, very traditionally constructed blues-rock and Goth-rock songs. The reviews of my previous two esteemed reviewers fail to mention the commanding vocal allure and lyrical delivery that Cary possesses that is strikingly similar to that of Siouxsie Sioux. There may even be some uncredited small debt owed in the sound palette to the Banshees (and Cure). Also agreed that Cary's lyrics and vocal delivery are the most remarkable part of this music.

CD 1 (45:33) 1. "Khepera at the Dawn" (4:08) the lead guitarist in this bluesy instrumental neither stays with the rhythmists nor with the established melody. S/he might be able to get away with it were s/he really Jimi Hendrix, but . . . Nice sound palette; next take, please. (8/10) 2. "Letterbox" (4:35) acoustic guitar turns four-chord Jeff Beck/Jimmy Page. Interesting sound palette.(8.5/10) 3. "Without a Trace" (5:50) interesting lyrics and delivery; interesting take on John Lennon's "Imagine." Dream on. (8.25/10) 4. "Into Dust" (5:21) what if Hendrix were to have played on Procul Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale" as Siouxsie Sioux crooned. In the fourth minute it tries to turn religious with church choral chant of lyric, "body and soul." (8.75/10) 5. "Afterglow" (6:11) whisper-spoken poetic lyrics over basic, sparse and spacious blues rock. Hypnotic--until the 3:10 mark when Cary and the band leap back into the here and now with convincing force. Too bad the instrumentalists wander off book (off universe) in the final two minutes--otherwise a kind of cool song in a Anne Clark kind of way. (8.75/10) 6. "Film Noir" (7:18) more Anne Clark-type of musical-poet experience. (12.5/15) 7. "Costume Jewellery" (extended version) (12:10) strummed guitars (electric & acoustic) and violin appear before drums and bass join in. After the first verse it turns into a kind of imitation of Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone from the Sun" (or else The Pink Fairies' "I Wish I Was a Girl"). (20/25)

CD 2 (46:37) 8. "Moonflowers (Fade to Black)" (6:55) (12/15) 9. "Sacrifice" (10:24) nice lead guitar work in the second half over this middle school blues rock practice jam. (16/20) 10. "Memory" (4:09) she's no Nina Hagen--despite using the chords and mood of "Der Spinner." The lead guitar in the L channel sounds like Brian May. (8/10) 11. "Castle of Dreams" (11:19) the first uptempo song on the second disc relies on a disco beat and Supertramp bouncing keyboard. The L channel guitarist wishes s/he were Robin Trower. Again, Souixsie and the Banshees and the late 1970s come to mind--even and especially the stripped down mid-section. Nice choral vocals. (16/20) 12. "The Land of Two Fields" (2:08) birds and a guitar being tuned over a KRAFTWERK sequence/loop. Turns kind of CAMEL-esque. Why isn't there more of this on the album? (4.5/5) 13. "Lady of Turquoise" (11:42) back to the post-punk, early Goth 70s. You half expect ROBERT SMITH or ROBERT JAMES to start singing. With 11 minutes of that drum and bass line, the musicians have no choice but to solo--otherwise they'd go crazy (or to sleep). Go John Hughes! (15/20)

Total Time 92:10

It feels to me as if everything on this album, song titles, lyrical phrases, instrumental sounds, rhythms and chord progressions, guitar soli, and even the vocal stylings are copies of something or someone else from rock's past--usually quite iconic things. The music is too simplistic to really be classifed as "prog" as it is more akin to the classic blues rock that was evolving parallel to the serious progressive rock pioneers--musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Randy California, Eric Clapton, Robin Trower, Frank Marino, and At times it's good, at times interesting, but mostly I find it redundant. But, then, I'm not a lyrics guy, so perhaps I'm missing something earth-shattering in the message. Otherwise, I'd heard music just as good as this from a band in my middle school. (Okay, maybe the lead guitar and lead singing are a little better here.)

C/three stars; a good collection of very standard blues-rock songs over which a talented lady sings and plays her guitar.

 Monday Machines (as Monday Machines) by GRACE, CARY album cover Studio Album, 2010
4.00 | 3 ratings

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Monday Machines (as Monday Machines)
Cary Grace Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Although this 2010 album was released by Monday Machines, it is actually a Cary Grace album in all but name, in that Cary provides vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synthesizers, and is joined by long-time collaborators Andy Budge (bass) and David Payne (drums) and musically is very much part of her canon. The final member of the group this time is guitarist Allan Coberly, whose Monday morning was disturbed one day when workmen with jackhammers and bulldozers started working near his home. Cary convinced him to record the sounds he could hear from his window, and there started the germ of the idea and the basis for the album. These sounds can be heard at different places throughout.

In many ways this is both one of the most exciting and accessible albums from Cary, while it is almost one of her most experimental. Although again there are times when she is channelling her inner Patti Smith, there are also plenty of instances where there is no anger in her vocals, and instead there is a breathy delicacy which one imagines could just disappear into the ether at any moment. Yet while she is being gentle the music underneath can be incredibly angular and aggressive, as although the rhythm section tries to keep it some semblance of order and normality, Coberly provides jagged chords so sharp they hit like breaking glass. We move in and out of krautrock, in and out of space rock, and we even take a trip into the psychedelic Sixties, with music which is both edgy and exciting, threatening and dangerous, yet compelling and lulling.

The more I have played this the more I feel this is a great introduction to anyone who has yet to come across any of Cary's albums as in one place one can get a real understanding of where she is coming from. It is a collection of smaller pieces, with only a couple breaking seven minutes in length and the rest being less than seven. Coberly recorded in the US while the rest was undertaken in the UK, so not quite the same amount of joint improvisation as on other albums, yet from playing this one cannot fathom they were not all in the same room at the same time. Cary has released some simply stunning albums over the years, and this is right at the top of the list alongside 'Tygerland' and 'Lady of Turquoise'. If you have yet to discover the sounds of Cary Grace, then you owe it to your ears to search this one out.

 Lady of Turquoise by GRACE, CARY album cover Studio Album, 2020
3.85 | 41 ratings

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Lady of Turquoise
Cary Grace Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars At the beginning of 2020 Cary returned with her latest album, another double CD set of more than an hour and a half long. All of those involved with her performance at Kozfest 2016 are here, along with John Garden who has played on a number of her other albums, as well as some additional musicians. Most of these musicians only play on a few songs, with her ever-present rhythm section of Andy Budge and David Payne being the exception, as Cary lists herself as providing vocals, synthesizers, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, organ, sampling, sequencing, electronics, and sound effects. Again, we have an incredibly diverse album, but as with her last studio album, 2015's excellent 'Tygerland', I find myself being reminded again of Patti Smith due to her use of words. Just sit back and let the words of 'Afterglow' just wash over you and take you into a new world which is intriguing and somewhat dark.

There is very little rush to the album, and far more concentration on her wonderful vocals. 'Film Noir' is a wonderful example of a song where there is a lot happening in the background, but it is restrained and all directed to having the listener concentrate on the vocals and the words as Cary searches for a love which is black and white. The album is more psychedelic than the others, and less space rock, yet there is always time for both as Cary again creates a wonderfully majestic world. She is perfectly capable of recording an album on her own yet brings in other people to become part of the overall process. She told me she enjoys 'putting people together who wouldn't have come together otherwise. Sometimes disastrous, but sometimes sublime.' There is not much disaster on here, but there is indeed very much the feeling of an artist in total control and with nothing to prove to anyone. This is her eighth studio release, and still she challenges herself and her listeners, with songs like 'Costume Jewellery' which almost becomes like a drone at parts, but hang on, there are some rather unusual acoustic instruments in the background which surely don't deserve to be there. Wait, there is a violin back there as well, what is going on? The drums have gone almost tribal, the electric guitar is staccato and poignant, the world is disappearing, I'm falling into a void'

Cary is one of the most exciting, interesting and innovative performers around, and I love everything I have heard of hers so far. Long may she continue to keep pushing the boundaries.

 The Uffculme Variations by GRACE, CARY album cover Live, 2016
4.00 | 7 ratings

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The Uffculme Variations
Cary Grace Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Kozfest, which was previously known as Kozmik Ken's Psychedelic Dream Festival, has been an annual event since 2011, and in 2016 it took place at Bobbie's farm in Devon near Uffculme, hence the album title. This is Cary's first live album and featured a band who had actually never played together prior to that day, not even in rehearsal. They had all played with Cary previously, but amazingly this was the first time that Steffe Sharpstrings (guitar) and Graham Clark (violin) had ever shared a stage, despite both being in different incarnations of Gong over the years and knowing each other. The line-up was completed by Cary providing just vocals and EMS VCS3 (no guitar this time), her long-time collaborators Andy Budge (bass) and David Payne (drums) as well as Victoria Reyes (keyboards, vocals, percussion). Cary described the event to me as "a truly magical happening, and that at least 80-90% was completely improvised on stage. There were no rehearsals. Some tracks are based on pre-existing compositions, but not in any rigid way. The last track, "The Grand Theme of Things" was completely impromptu, with improvised lyrics, even."

Just taking a look at that year's line-up will allow people who have not previously come across Cary's music to be able to judge her by the company she keeps: Astralasia, Hawklord, Gong, Sacred Geometry Banned, Babal, Deviant Amps, Metropolis, The Azimuth Coordinator, The Glissando Guitar Orchestra, Invisible Opera Company Of Tibet, Zofff, Harvey Bainbridge, Sentient, Pfrp, PsiGong, Roz Bruce Infusion, Red Sun, Pure Mischief, Inspiral Trio, The Magick Brothers, Spiral Navigators, Kev n Gregg, Jackie Juno, Scgroovmachine, Ben Graham, Al Stokes, Dean Phillips, Mandragora, Glowpeople, Shom, Dubbal, The Tea Project, The Archetypes, The Trolleymen, Cary Grace, Paradise 9, Spiral Navigators, Nukli, Peyote Guru, The Sumerian Kyngs, Tanglemist, Andy Bole, Phaselock, Spacedogs, Black Light Secret, The Alice Syndrome, Schroedingers Cat, and Modulator Esp. I mean, what a list for anyone remotely interested in psychedelic and space rock.

In David and Andy, she had two musicians who had been working with her for years, who were able to keep everything tight and controlled, which allowed all the other musicians to play around and through the music. At times everyone sits back and allows Steffe to do what he does best, mesmerise everyone with some astonishing guitar, while Andy and David just keep playing the same underlying melody to give him the freedom. There is no need for everyone to be playing at once, they are all into the music, feeling it, and then taking part when the time is right.

Of all her albums this the one which is the most tripping, and not surprisingly given the environment, and the audience reaction is that of people who are amazed by what is happening in front of them. The keyboards are incredibly important to the overall sound, and sometimes the major impact they have is that they are not being used at all. There are times when Cary pits her vocals against Steffe's guitar, others when she sings gently and melodic, and many others when there is no need for vocals at all. Possibly this is not the best place to start investigating Cary's music, but for those who have already become fans then this is enthralling.

 Tygerland by GRACE, CARY album cover Studio Album, 2015
4.01 | 18 ratings

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Tygerland
Cary Grace Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Cary's 2015 album 'Tygerland' saw a wider group of supporting musicians, as well as a more diverse mix of styles. Part of this was due to the way this album came together, in that one song was actually from the 'Perpetual Motions' sessions some five years earlier and includes performances from Graham Clark (Gong, Magick Brothers), and Spencer Cullum Jr. (Dead String Brothers, Steelism). Another five songs were recorded in live session with Steffe Sharpstrings (Here & Now, Planet Gong, Sentient, Psy Gong), John Garden (who had worked with Cary before, Scissor Sisters, Alison Moyet, Mauve La Biche), alongside seasoned collaborators Andy Budge (bass), and David Payne (drums). One of the session tracks also includes Catriona Shaw on trumpet and sax, adding yet another musical strong to the bow.

In many ways this is a much more straightforward album, darker and more gothic, and I found myself thinking more and more of Patti Smith as an inspiration, which Cary has then taken into new territory. "War Child" contains wonderful guitar, great Hammond-style keyboards, and it is hard for me to actually write anything about it as I just want to close my eyes and drift into the music (which is not a good thing when you are as poor a touch typist as I am). Nine minutes of classic space rock, psychedelic with Gong and Hawkwind influences, and her vocals over the top of it all. Strangely commercial, the repeated saxophone line drills into the psyche, pinning the brain and baring the soul.

Lots of vocals on this album, with just one really lengthy number, "Windsong". At more than twenty minutes in length, this is an emotional and atmospheric wander through a forest in the mist. Shapes keep coming out of nowhere, then disappear, and the mind starts to play tricks as it asks if something was real or imagined. It is eerie, evocative, and yet again so very different to much of what has gone before. When Cary starts to speak, telling the story of when she was a naked child, it is compelling, vital, and the rest of the world disappears. The joining together of the words and the music is symbiotic, made for each other, and lifting each to even greater heights. This is an incredible introduction to the world and mind of Cary Grace, and the one to which I most often return.

 Constant Things by GRACE, CARY album cover Studio Album, 2011
3.52 | 10 ratings

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Constant Things
Cary Grace Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Following on from 2010's, 'Monday Machines', Cary returned in 2011 with her sixth release, 'Constant Things'. She provides vocals, guitars, keyboards, synths, production & mixing while Andy Budge (bass) and David Payne (drums) return, as well as two guests who assist on a track each, David Bartley (guitar) and Mark Griffin (drums). As with her other albums, Cary again is musically incredibly diverse and is determined to make life hard for people like me who want to convince others to discover this music for their own. Take "Mountain Song" for example, here both in a final version and as a demo. They are the last two songs on the album, and are based around linked acoustic guitars, a resonant bass, a few keyboards, and emotional heartfelt vocals cracking and poignant.

Compare that to an instrumental such as "Vanishing" which feels more like Ozrics working with classic space rock, and it is hard to imagine that it is the same artist, let alone appearing on the same album. Cary is a musician with multiple personalities, and while classic psychedelia appears in all, she can happily co-exist alongside a space rock/krautrock/hardened synth player improvising and taking us into unusual worlds or a delicate singer songwriter. It takes a special person to be in charge of so many differing styles, and the result is up to us to interpret and discover for ourselves. I can imagine there will be people who enjoy one of Cary's many persona, but not others. Me? I love the way she goes from place to place, never settling for too long (the longest song on this album is just ten minutes) yet taking bits and pieces and bringing them back to the nest where they are curated.

Part of me is always frustrated when I come across a musician who has been around for years as I am annoyed with myself for not knowing them earlier, yet another part of me is pleased as I can hear a great deal of material at once without having to wait a long time until the next album! Cary Grace is a real talent who will be appreciated by those who enjoy psychedelic progressive rock and is never afraid to push into other musical areas. With Cary, her music is like that proverbial box of chocolates, "You never know what you're gonna get, " but it's all delicious.

 Perpetual Motion by GRACE, CARY album cover Studio Album, 2009
4.03 | 17 ratings

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Perpetual Motion
Cary Grace Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Although I have known Cary for a few years, for some reason I had never investigated any of her music until towards the end of last year when I was approached by a third party asking if wanted to hear her latest album. This in turn led to me and Cary getting back in touch with each other, and one weekend we spent a long time conversing through Messenger while I was writing reviews and she was making jewellery, as she had set up another company as she didn't have enough to do! Not only is Cary also a musician, poet and artist, she owns the brand for Wiard Synthesisers in the UK and builds them herself , so I am quite convinced she has a TARDIS stashed away somewhere as it is just not possible for one person to do everything she manages to achieve. Soon after that she sent me through some albums, and finally I have got around to giving them the time and attention they deserve.

On this 2009 double disc release she provides vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, EMS VCS3 synth, production and mixing and is joined by John Garden (guitar, Prophet 5 synth, Scissor Sisters), Graham Clark (violin, Daevid Allen), Andy Budge (bass) and David Payne (drums). However, the first song of hers I heard was a cover of Hendrix's "1983...(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)", which appeared on the Fruits de Mer 'A Band For All Seasons' compilation, and not anything from her albums at all. But this gave me an insight into the style of music this American turned Anglophile likes to produce, right? Wrong. Cary is one of the most interesting musicians I have come across, as the woman is a magpie, taking bright shiny things from one musical genre, hoarding them, and then looking for the next. This may just be a fragment, a sliver of something incredibly beautiful, or a much longer piece which takes time for the listener to understand.

Apparently, the album was recorded in just three days, and while there is an underlying psychedelic feel to it, there is also plenty of krautrock and the likes of Gong, with small vocal songs or sections giving way to long instrumental passages which have been mostly improvised. It is challenging in the aspect that one never knows what is going to come next, yet somehow as a whole it always makes sense. "Queen of Pentacles" is nearly 25 minutes long, and there are times when its whole being revolve around the vocals, and at others there is a rhythm section keeping it down while Cary provides looping synth leads and melodies which wouldn't sound too out of place on an Ozrics album. I must confess to playing all of her albums more than I would normally for review purposes just because a) I had no real idea how I could put what I was hearing into words, and b) I was enjoying them so damn much! The guitar may be front of house, creating a cacophony of sound while the keyboards are nowhere to be found, there are times when they are together, there are times when the music is looping to create a base on which to build ideas, and others where we get her vocals.

A normal musician would concentrate on just one musical style, but here we have someone who is refusing to confirm to any sort of normality, and instead wants us to accept her on her own terms. She is more than capable of releasing an album of short melodic songs based on her vocals, or albums of pure improvisation, but here she has put them all together on one 80 plus minute long set, which is simply superb, and the addition of Clark to add bits and pieces when the time is right is a masterstroke. This was Cary's fourth album, and demonstrates someone who knows her path, which is far more interesting and splintered than the well-trodden norm.

 Lady of Turquoise by GRACE, CARY album cover Studio Album, 2020
3.85 | 41 ratings

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Lady of Turquoise
Cary Grace Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by TCat
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

5 stars Cary Grace comes from the US, but makes music that is based from the British psychedelic movement from the late 60s/early 70s. In fact, she is so devoted to it, that she now resides in the England making music, riding motorbikes and running a business making Wiard boutique modular synthesizers. In her early recording years, she moved to Nashville with the singer/songwritier vibe, making more acoustic sounding folk, but with her desire to become more "artful", she went in feet first to explore the psychedelic movements. She began releasing albums in 2004, and since then, has released 7 full-length studio albums and several EPs. Her 7th album was released in January of 2020 and is called "Lady of Turquoise". This lovely album is made up of 13 tracks of psychedelic music with a twist, the songs are based around a more melodic style. What you get, as a result, is a collection of accessible music that also isn't afraid to explore, but not be over-indulgent. There is a plethora of psychedelia here, beautifully made compositions that also keep your attention while still putting you into the right frame of mind. Grace, above everything else, is a sadly ignored artist that should be recognized for her melding of lovely psychedelic music with a strong sense of melody.

"Khepera at the Dawn" begins the album with a nice, layered instrumental, setting the mood for the strong psychedelic sound of the album while exploring a blues-style attitude. "Letterbox" then proves the statements I previously made about her melding of this wonderful psych-pop sound that she makes. Layers of synths and guitars take the listener into familiar territory, reflecting the sounds and ingenuity of Pink Floyd mixed with a sense of the modern, alternative flair which continues in "Without a Trace". However, with "Into Dust", there is an even heavier sense of the dreamy and strange with the sounds of a tortured guitar and Grace's psychedelic-infused vocal manipulations. The spooky guitar effects flow into "Afterglow", which soon takes off in a more moderate rhythm which shows more push from the drums. Keeping with a feeling of distinction between her tracks, this time her lyrics are spoken in a way that demands for you to hear them, even when they are mostly whispered. You'll find yourself drawn into the music, brought there by her hypnotizing use of her voice, then suddenly buried in heavy layers of guitar and synth.

Just when you think you have heard it all, she brings in a beautiful sax to introduce the almost sensual "Film Noir". Again, one is reminded of Pink Floyd, as the combination of structure (melody) and improvisation (free flowing instruments) blend together perfectly. Her folk influences find a perfect home in the 12 minute "Costume Jewellery" as she brings in the mid- Eastern instrumental blend to the psychedelic sound. After several somewhat shorter songs, this track takes time to explore and mesh the psychedelic combination of violin and guitar with the continuing drone-like twanging of the traditional instruments continuing in the background. This track, and some other long ones to follow, only cement Grace's inclusion into the psychedelic genre, allowing her guest musicians ample time to explore her soundscape.

The moderately slow pace of the drums and wandering guitar will bring back your chemically-enhanced memories of early Pink Floyd as she adopts a more free-form style of singing (but still based around a simple melody) and the lead guitar shares the lead with her vocals on "Moonflowers (Fade to Black)". This blues-infected trip in a minor key will make you feel like she is singing and her band is playing just for you, up close and personal. Her controlled angst soon calms, and the music calms with her, and she again hypnotizes you and then later brings back the intensity, the heavy guitar following her perfectly. "Sacrifice" on the other hand, moves to a lighter palette of sound with an easy beat and a more accessible singing style which could easily fit in a radio play-list, except in an edited version since it is over 10 minutes. Even with it's more accessible sound though, it tries to wander off into the unknown, but is always brought back to its more structured style, though it does get more exploratory in the last section.

"Memory" is a nice reflective song with soft guitar backing up Grace's lovely vocals. The melody is quite lovely and, even though it is a shorter track, it takes time to build in emotion and power and then release it all as it comes back down to earth again. "Castle of Dreams" takes us back to long form music with its 11+ minute run time. A quick build brings us out of the melancholy sense of the previous track and a boiling guitar line push Grace's lyrics and vocals out emphasizing their importance, and the guitar swirls and wraps its cries around her vocals. Things level off and float along at a smoother pace after a while. Overall, this sounds more like a Hawkwind-inspired section but with more complicated lyrics, vocals and a better combination of structure/improvisation. This one is the most lyric-heavy of them all, yet every note is important as it uses progressive structure to bring its many moods across. Definitely a highlight among what are already many highlights on this album.

"The Land of Two Fields" is the shortest of the tracks here at just over 2 minutes of instrumental synth-bliss. This melody is continued in the last track, which is the 11+ minute title track. Building off of the previous riff, the music builds in a crescendo and then levels off with an even, moderate beat and lovely melody enhanced by more free-wheeling guitar. The music floats along easily with this beat. Between the short verses are long, flowing passages of musical bliss layered by guitar, synth and the (by now) well-established bass and drum riff. The music goes on and on, and you want it to. It's a perfect foundation for an enticing jam and finally comes in for a landing in the end leaving you only wanting to start it all over again. As far as psychedelic and space rock goes, it is absolutely perfect!

Is it possible to mix structure with psychedelic and space rock wanderings and pull it off? It is, and Cary Grace does it with (dare I say it?) grace! This beautiful and well put together double album deserves to be in the spotlight, by all means. Amazing song writing, beautiful exploratory passages, real-Floydian attitude that comes across as authentic, yet at the same time, very relevant and new sounding. It has been a long time since someone has been able to convince me that we can still be tapped in to the unique sound of the early 70s and not sound like she is trying to copy it, but expand on it and make it something that can appeal to everyone. Easily a 5 star album that will be a contender for the best of a new decade. A masterpiece of psychedelic proportions for the new and old ages, this is an album that should be on everyone's radar in 2020.

 Covers Volume I by GRACE, CARY album cover Boxset/Compilation, 2018
3.20 | 6 ratings

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Covers Volume I
Cary Grace Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by Rivertree
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Band Submissions

3 stars As a musician and composer you are inspired by other acts of course. And you surely will have a preference on diverse songs in the same way, frequently related to special experiences in everyday life most likely. What sooner or later may lead on to the idea, or even obsession maybe, to re-interprete them according to your taste. Be it just for fun, as a contribution to a gig, sampler or vinyl-only single, or whatever. So now here we have a (first = Volume I) collection of rarities, recorded by Cary Grace over the last decade. This in cooperation with diverse musicians she has been, respectively still is recording as well as playing on live performances with her band. First and foremost to name Andy Budge (bass) and drummer David Payne.

Finally that makes a very personal crossover of rock songs from Bowie to Pink Floyd, Cream to Amon Düül 2 and so on. A singer/songwriter who is focussed on psychedelic space rock, I would say this is not a common affair really. This description relates to her albums in general, and 'Covers Volume I' won't be an exception. Although every track bears some recall value, it sounds different in the same way, sometimes more, sometimes less. For instance, you've got it, quite obvious, a female voice is dominating here. By example Bowie's Black Country Rock or Tales Of Brave Ulysses have turned out very well. Every piece is provided with finesse, worked out with care, taken for granted. This is a really nice collection, culminating into the extended album highlight Fat Old Sun, which shows her preferences quite well. 3.5 stars.

 The Uffculme Variations by GRACE, CARY album cover Live, 2016
4.00 | 7 ratings

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The Uffculme Variations
Cary Grace Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by Windhawk
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars UK based artist Cary GRACE first appeared back in 2004 with her debut album "Book of Rhymes", and have since been a feature in the UK rock scene issuing new material at a steady pace with six studio albums available so far. "The Uffculme Variations" is a live album that appeared in 2016, and unless I'm much mistaken this is also her first live production.

Those with an interest in psychedelic progressive rock and space rock will probably be rather familiar with the talents of Cary Grace already, but for those who aren't, and that tends to enjoy a live set where substantial parts of the concert comes across as having an improvised spirit present, could do a lot worse than tracking down this live album for their possible enjoyment.

Thanks to Eetu Pellonpää for the artist addition.

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