A BIG GOODBYE

Sounds and Silence is a decent debut of the band The Big Goodbye. I was invited to hear this album, and certainly I was not sorry. Not that I was facing a masterpiece, but certainly this is an album with his qualities and I think the band has much to offer.

I think the biggest problem for Sounds and Silence is the lack of emotion. Not something like this to bring the listener to tears, but a kind of "supplement" to the album's sound. A greater supply of keyboards would be interesting, I think - there are some organ here and there, but they are few indeed. However there are plenty of saxophone that captivates me, because I have a crush on this instrument, as well as trumpets and trombones.

On the positive side I have to mention the heavy use of acoustic guitar, especially in introducing the songs - almost all start with this instrument. This is not an album specifically for metal, I think there's a light touch that really interesting, making it a cross between music maisntream (but it's not pop, understand) with progressive hard rock. And the songs Solitude and The Great Divide are really excellent, I might add.

Finally, a good album, and a band with potential. 4 stars.

The album starts with a powerful opener, an almost immediately hypnotizing acoustic guitar opening. It is a powerful song and for its length never diminishes in power. At some moments, it sounds like Coheed and Cambria's Welcome Home, but with a touch of something unique.

The next track is where the band shows their true colors: combining middle-eastern sounds with extremely melodic and catchy melodies, as well as an intense instrumental section. This is a very good choice for a single, because it is very well-crafted, but is instrumentally powerful enough to make any listener become interested in the band--don't forget to check out the insane drumming.

The Great Divide is definitely one of my favorite tracks of the year. It starts off slightly ambient, with haunting effects and the best vocals yet. This track is basically a conceptual suite, about the divide between a man and woman. Each effect and note of the song is meant to augment the lyrics, such as the sax representing a breath of fresh air, or a wrong chord change representing mistakes; furthermore, this track is really open to interpretation, so let it absorb you and have a lot of fun with it. It's got a lost of twists and turns.

The next two tracks I find is where the album is flawed. You can tell there is a lot of effort put into them, and they're great tracks, but they just bring the quality of the album down a bit, because they're not as good as the previous tracks. They are great tracks nonetheless, and the best part is that they're still growing on me. The acoustic guitars on The Door, however, are outstanding.

In My Dreams brings to mind the best of Ghost Reveries era Opeth but mixes in the new personality belonging exclusively to ABG. This track does not let down. Every note is executed perfectly, producing a powerful haunting effect.

Finally, we get to the epic. This is another great track and definitely has the best use of the saxophone. However, The Great Divide is a slightly stronger piece. The highlight of the epic has to be the trance-inducing ending. Unfortunately that's the ending. It leaves you wanting more.

4.25 stars, a really strong debut effort.

The mind-blowingly beautiful: the ending of Memories

The mind-blowingly insane: the instrumental section of Solitude

The mind-blowingly unexpected: the sax on Great Divide

First of all, it's very nice to see in 2011 people doing music with mixed elements, acoustic guitars all around, heavier parts, some saxophones here and there, a lot of melodies, a lot of turnarounds. Maybe that's where the problem lies.

I'm a fan of pop melodies, and to write a good pop melody that will hook on people's minds isn't that easy. Those guys have some ability to do that, but then comes the problem, sometimes things get way out of line, as if they're trying too hard to make a very phenomenal piece. Cause we have too much of both worlds (Prog and Alternative Pop or whatever you like to call it), too much of each on every track.

I'm not saying it's a bad album, cause it's not, there are many enjoyable moments. But for me, there are moments that made this band not original. I can see nowadays, with zillions of bands to listen to, it's very hard to have an original sound, and maybe for most of people this will not be a problem, but for me, there are moments that remind me Orphaned Land, moments that remind me Solstice Coil, Daniel Mills voice remind me of the brazilian band Cartoon's singer Khadhu without the high parts.

I hardly know a band's first record that made it right to the point (maybe Kiss did it, oh yeah they did), and I'm sure this guys will pull a great second record.

But one thing must be said, the sound quality, impressive! Many many bands with label on their sides don't get the sound those guys did, and it's a independent release.

Actually 3.5 stars

They are a new and independent US band which last year (2011) entered to the progressive rock realm with their debut album entitled "Sounds & Silences". This album features seven compositions that make a total time of 48 minutes, in which we will listen to a fresh offering that shows an excellent example of heavy prog the most of the time, though in moments the music is lighter and mellow.

It opens with "Thinking Out Loud" whose first moments have a delicate acoustic guitar accompanied by nice vocals. Later it changes and creates a sound that exemplifies the heavy prog category, with brief metal tendencies, but without being a metal band at all. Then the song flows and is developing a particular sound, with several changes that put dynamism on it, sometimes it is heavier and more complex, sometimes softer and even catchy. This is a very good opener track.

"Solitude" starts with acoustic guitar but seconds later the electric joins and along with keyboards produce a powerful beginning. The music seems to have some kind of mid east flavor, with a sitar-like sound, but later, it surprisingly changes and produces a much catchier tune in the chorus, with a neo-prog feeling. What I like of this track is that A Big Goodbye manages to morph without losing track, I mean, there aren't fractured moments, the composition is well-crafted from start to end.

"The Great Divide" is one of the two epics of this album, this one with a nine-minute length. Acoustic guitar at the beginning, a soft sound with nice bass lines and constant drums, later joined by a delicate voice. To be honest the name of Opeth came to my mind in this beginning, as the name of Porcupine Tree in the previous track, maybe those bands have influenced A Big Goodbye in a way. Returning to the song, it continues with the same mellow sound for some minutes, progressing little by little until after four minutes they bring us a very cool and intense instrumental passage that shows again why they are labeled under the Heavy Prog genre. Here we can also appreciate their skills as performers, the drums are heavy and fast, the guitar making nice figures and carrying the rhythm, while the bass produces nice lines. A new and drastic change comes after six minutes in which percussion enter along with acoustic guitar, making a very soft sound. When I thought they had nothing new to add, they surprised me with the introduction of a saxophone.

And this saxophone now continues and opens the next track entitled "February Girl" whose first minute is a ballad-like, which later vanishes and turns into an alternative rock song that in spite of the heavy and prog touches, it does not pass that barrier of a radio single tune with a catchy sound. "The Door" starts as usual with acoustic guitar (after five tracks, I would suggest the band to change a little bit the first seconds of their songs, if they don't want to sound repetitive) and later the music flows, creating again a catchy melody and a friendly tune. Honestly, these two tracks are the weakest moments of the album.

"In My Dreams" is a more interesting track with powerful, energy and intensity that makes the listener feeling part of it. The sound here is heavier and emotional, with excellent guitar work that offers a good solo after three minutes. The album finishes with "Memories" which is the longest composition with more of 14 minutes of great music. This might be their most accomplished work, with great lyrics, wonderful structures that let us know their compositional talent. The acoustic guitar is a crucial element here, and they return with a saxophone that adds cadency, deliciousness to the already good sound. Here they remembered that keyboards can do a lot of things, and I believe here they exploded and took advantage of them, creating great nuances and atmospheres that I did not appreciate in previous tracks. Well, being a long song it is evident that here you will find changes in mood and rhythm, most of them are pretty cool.

A strong debut from A Big Goodbye, I liked it though I must admit I am not crazy for it, mostly because two or three tracks that did not caught my attention, and for some catchy moments, however, the band is very talented and know how to make good melodies and complex compositions, just like the last one. Now I am looking forward to their next release. Meanwhile, my final grade will be three stars.

Enjoy it!

"Thinking Out Loud" A moody acoustic guitar using a dominant seventh to ascend from a major chord to a minor chord lies underneath cloudy vocals with a psychedelic effect. After the introduction, the opening piece launches into a progressive metal assault before returning to the acoustic guitar (with a bit of psychedelic white noise). Following this, the listener is treated to an enjoyable pop rock song with a heavy hook. Overall, the song is tad fragmented, but each fragment is strong enough on its own.

"Solitude" Again juxtaposing acoustic guitar with heavy metal, my favorite track on the album has a complex but memorable vocal melody in the verse over exotic acoustic guitar and sitar. The chorus is one of the best, catchiest rock refrains I've ever heard.

"The Great Divide" This acoustic guitar-based song makes me think of what a collaboration between Lifehouse and Radiohead might sound like. Once again, we are treated to catchy rock vocals, pleasant chord progressions, and psychedelic flourishes. The middle instrumental passage is heavy rock, perhaps similar to Rush's Vapor Trails- no guitar soloing, but plenty of rhythmic twists and battering passages. The final part begins more along the lines of "Hotel California" by The Eagles with exotic twelve-string guitar and percussion, but soon provides an stimulating bit of saxophone.

"February Girl" Light saxophone and acoustic guitar provide a pleasant listening experience in the beginning. The song proper leans slightly disco in the verse, while the hard-rocking chorus has an excellent melodic build. The instrumental section at the end is rhythmically exciting, but unfortunately doesn't go anywhere; indeed, the music just abruptly shuts off- a pity.

"The Door" Of all the songs, "The Door" is the most straightforward and rock station radio-friendly as a whole. The guitar solo primarily consists of single whole notes over a steady backing in 3/4 time. As such, it may be the least exciting song here to the progressive rock fan, but I can't see why any rock music lover in general wouldn't like this one.

"In My Dreams" Providing some further metal chugging juxtaposed with acoustic-led verses, "In My Dreams" offers yet another refrain that begs to be sung along to in the car. And of all the songs, I'd say this is the most Enchant-like, complete with one of only two speedy guitar solos on the album (dual guitars at that).

"Memories" The fourteen-minute closer opens with easygoing acoustic guitar, vocals, and a mournful saxophone. The second riveting guitar solo soon follows, bleeding into that sad saxophone theme. Then the pace quickens, leading into what could have been another hit single- easily accessible and easily enjoyed. The brass punctuates the steady heavy metal interlude before dropping off entirely, bringing in piano and returning to the recurring theme. The sadness presses on in 3/4 and quietude, only occasionally endorsing their metal side. The final section is a sleepy bit of piano. For some reason, the drums getting left alone like that at the end make me feel sad in a way that the sorrowful piano did not- a strange but, for me, effective way to part from us.

I am quite an aficionado of the heavy genre, so I was positive before listening to the album. The opening number starts with some beautiful acoustic parameters (which is not the usual trade of the genre). But after a while, you're brought into a much wilder, although melodic style of music. ''Thinking Of Loud" is definitely a very good song.

The same mood applies to the next "Solitude". The combination of acoustic and truly heavy music is just splendid. At this stage of the album, I have to say that a vague (but persistent) feel with some "Opeth" pieces is noticeable (but hopefully without growling). This is another very good track indeed which features a splendid musicianship. It is a bloody emotional track as far as I am concerned.

It is needless to say that the intro of "The Great Divide" borrows some lines from the splendid "Drapery Fall" from "Opeth". The only let down is that the vocal department (although very good ? sorry Matt) is not on par with the superb and emotive Mikael's one. The instrumental parts are great however, even if less powerful than their model. This is the third very good song in a row.

The next song is probably the most catchy of this album: these guys know how to write great melodies for sure. Some might say that it sounds too commercial, but hey! Who could blame a band to write good melodies? This is another very good song for sure. So far, so good.

Twenty five minutes of excellent music. "The Door" is more poppish and even if the melody is again performing, I think that it is a little behind of the other great songs from this debut album. But since we are flirting with perfection, there is no harm. Is it?

The next and short "In My Dreams" is a good mix of the items described previously: great guitars, superb beat, wonderful vocal melody. What else do we need???

Matt told me that the band was working on TWO (yes, 2) albums in these days. I am really thrilled to listen to their output and to witness them in a live situation over here (I mean Europe). The wonderful "Spirit of 66" could definitively host them while around of this side of the Atlantic.

Now: the epic and closing number of the album. "Memories" is waiting for your listening. After all these excellent songs, I was waiting for the magical one. Unfortunately, I am not reaching the nirvana while listening to it. Of course, all the ingredients mentioned before are present, but the whole is somewhat too conventional. It might have turned this album to a five star one. But you know that I am rather scarce of the ultimate rating.

In all, this is a very good album. Prog sits here in every corner and I can only recommend you to grab this album and spread it over. Four stars. Actually, I am confronted with the best album of 2011 I have heard.

On the note of metal, I actually have my first and biggest complaint about the album - and that is the volume on the opening track, Thinking Out Loud. It starts off with a nice quiet, acoustic bit, before heavy, metallic guitars charge in. The difference between these two volumes can be quite a pain in situations where volume matters, like in bed or on the train. I was in fact listening on the train and had the volume high enough to hear the opening part, and when the electric guitars came in I jumped a bit, it was so loud!

Other than that, which honestly was probably more my fault than the bands, this is a pretty good album. For sure, for a fan of progressive music, there are seven good songs in here to add to their music collection. The band makes quite a fair amount of acoustic/quiet and electric/loud to provide variety within their music, and it works for the most part, although by the end of the album it's not as surprising.

Standout tracks included February Girl, which has quite a nice feel to it, and the closing "epic", Memories, which pretty much demonstrates everything that the band does very nicely. It starts off loud, quiets down in the middle, and builds to a nice piano part at the end. The track of course deals with attempting to move forward instead of being held back by memories, a nice theme for the band to cut their teeth on.

Ultimately this album demonstrates a band at the start of their development who have the potential to go further and the chops to take them there. I would like to see a bit more variety in the compositions, but at the same time, the band never bores with this disc.

Enjoy!

The prog rock scene is very much alive & (in particular) kicking. A Big Goodbye debuts with this kicking album. An album that style wise is in the modern prog category. References are Radiohead, Muse and Porcupine Tree. But the saxophone also gives this band an extra dimension. A dimension they should play on in the rest of their career to stand out from the rest of the crowd. The vocals are great and so is the sound. A sound which is beefy and guitars dominated. Keyboards adds extra textures to the sound. Gigs promotors beware; this band is surely killers on stage because they have a great live sound.

The songs are very good. I am missing a signature track which would had made the band stand out from the crowd. But as a debut album, this is more than acceptable. I think we can expect great things from this band in the future. A band to watch for the future, me thinks.

3.5 stars

"Sounds & Silences" is a decent debut for talented band A Big Goodbye.

A Big Goodbye is an American band that just released they're debut album "Sounds & Silences". From these seven songs I sense this band not only has talent, but can go very far in their musical career.

The musicianship is good, all of them are good musicians and are able to prove it many times. The production, for being a debut album of an independent release, is quite impressive, very clear and precise, especially in the heavier parts. These parts have always good riffs, and the attitude is always present. There are also tons of acoustic, softer parts, that for some might be a little disappointing to hear, but I think they're fair enough, adding also some nice sax parts. This band doesn't seem to be completely original though, not only in the sense of hearing influences all over the place, especially Porcupine Tree, but also they don't propose anything new to me stylistically speaking. Basically, they are alternating acoustic parts with electrics parts, and that's it.

However, this doesn't make the songs bad, not at all: "Thinking Out Loud" has great hooks, and great vocals, especially in the chorus. But other songs come close to annoy me, like "February Girl" or "The Great Divide", maybe just because of the melodies. "The Door" and "Solitude" are pretty enjoyable though, nice hooks overall. The second part of the album is definitely the best, the last two songs for me are quite the highlights: "In My Dreams" is a catchy tune, very enjoyable to listen, and the fourteen minutes of "Memories" are structured surprisingly well, and contains many good, memorable moments, that remind of good old prog rock.

"Sounds & Silences" is a pretty good, enjoyable debut for A Big Goodbye, I'm sure this band, seeing their talent, will be able to surpass this easily in the future.

'Sounds and Silences' is a very well produced album from newcomer to the scene, A Big Goodbye. Admittedly, my first impression, listening while I was doing something else, was that it was just another standard prog metal album with nothing new to offer. On my third listen I put on the headphones and that is when I realised what a truly remarkable album this is. It really is designed for headphones and one would gain the full experience if they concentrated on the lyrics as they have a powerful story to tell; one that seems to run as a theme on the album. Each song builds up this story and there does not seem to be a happy ending as, after all, not everything turns out like a fairytale. The story concentrates on a protagonist who is reaching out for the girl of his dreams but she is totally non interested.

Thinking Out Loud begins this album quite well with a slow acoustic verse and the soft vocals of Daniel Mills. It then cranks up with a manic metal riff that has a progressive time sig. This style is a dominant feature of the album, soft vocals, melodic verses and bursts of blazing metal riffing guitars. The chorus is loud and the lyrics are based on broken relationships and isolated dreams unfulfilled; 'When I see your face everything around starts to burn and I feel like I have found everything that I could ever want wrapped up in you, wrapped up in your pretty smile.' The heavy machine gun riffs of Matt Glisson are aggressive and signify that the love that is forsaken is cutting deep in the protagonists heart and mind. The choice is yours says the protagonist but it seem like a lost cause, a girl who is rejecting him reaching out. The theme is one that most of us can relate to, the feeling of rejection and the untouchable girl of our dreams who will never be; 'when your mind is so far away'.

I really love Solitude, killer riffs and very heavy distortion are a key feature. The melody is infectious and there are proggish time signatures. The song structure is innovative with detours into some metrical patterns that shape the atmosphere. Great lyrics too; 'You see yourself without your soul, But inside you'll fight with yourself not to lose control, I'll be here 'til the end, Waiting for all the love that you promised you'd send, So now I'm stuck here waiting for love, Waiting for love, I was a fool to think from the start that you would come.' The mid section with fast chugging riffs and keyboard motifs is wonderful. Time sig changes occur a few more times and then it locks into a moderate feel with majestic synthesizer and an acoustic section. This one is a definitive highlight of the album.

The Great Divide begins with an acoustic intro that moves along nicely with strong chord changes and chime bell keyboards from Matt. Once again the vocals keep time with the syncopated rhythm; 'Is something wrong with searching for the peace of mind I'll never find? All alone, I'm looking back, back across the great divide, And seeing you standing there and wanting to be by your side, A love that cannot be denied.' The slow feel is broken only by a louder chorus. The sound generated on this track reminds me of Neal Morse style or Rush in some ways. The instrumental break builds to a heavier feel. Mention must be made of the great drumming style too from Andrew Glisson, that consistently keeps a complex rhythm gaining in pace. The grungier guitar sound and faster pace augment the atmosphere which is downbeat towards the end. The time sig completely changes with very heavy sounding guitars, and sustained key pads, creating dark atmospheric shades. It is admirable how the music changes completely by the end of the track but never feels out of place. At 6:30 a tom tom beat locks in with clean guitar twangs. The mixing is exemplary, every instrument is distinguishable, and it is a sensational soundscape generated. When the saxophone sound chimed in I felt shivers up the spine, it works so brilliantly with a melancholy feel, powerful and emotional.

The saxophone sound begins it's lonely wail over an acoustic and synthetic spacey keyboard. Out of nowhere heavy guitars break through interrupting the peace. February Girl has a great rocking feel which is more upbeat than previous tracks. The synths are mixed to the front to lift the music up to a crescendo. The fast metal riffing in the verses is tight and very effective. The instrumental break is dominated by keyboards with a consistent distorted guitar presence. This one has a catchy chorus with strong melodies. The song builds in heaviness at the end. Nice and short, and perhaps worthy of being a single.

The Door features a great chorus with very good vocal performance from Daniel; 'open the door for me, let me trace my steps, wish I could change it all, but I'm too obsessed, open the door for me, so I can find my way, find my way outta here and leave it all behind me.' The music is a slow rock tempo, with an effective lead break, and simple notes tracing the main melody. The bridge has a wonderful half time feel with a higher register in vocals. It settles then into a softer chorus. The infectious hooks are going to grow on you as the album does on each listen.

A very heavy distortion and metal riffs begin In My Dreams. The darkness of the music is broken by soft cadence in the verses. The chorus is full of angst and passionate pleas for releasing her image from the mind; 'In my dreams, in my mind, in my thoughts, you will find, prison I'm in, so far away, to get out soon before it's too late.' Most of us can relate to being haunted by someone who had an impact on us, a girl in this case, and it is here where the song resonated with me. Having a girl imprisoned or locked in one's mind is the main focus; to find freedom from the mind is the ultimate goal. The song works on that level relating to those who have been through a painful broken relationship, or are longing for love that will never be realised.

Memories features pleasant soft saxophone sounds and vocals that permeate the tranquil atmosphere. It gets heavier with Matt's lead guitar break, one of the best on the album. I really like the melody on the track and the way it builds tempo. The song completely changes at 2:50 for the better, with a rock time shift. The main melody is still there in the chorus though it is faster and more energetic. The brass section is majestic. The storyteller lyrics are innovative; 'Dazed and confused, he felt dizzy from the thought, of the after thought,' the protagonist is obviously haunted by past hurts and he is 'lost within his mind, memories from their past, memories he holds on to.' After a brief upsurge in heaviness the song really settles into a serene passage with acoustic and gentle vocals at 6:45. The protagonist now has a sense of remorse and reflective lyrics come through; 'There's no other way to ease the pain, I find it hard to say what's in my heart.' The minimalist acoustic and electric piano seem to echo the sadness of the words. There is a story to follow that is both compelling and endearing; 'he crossed searching for piece of mind, he needs something to hold onto to get him through this time, when will I move on, when will I get away, will this ever end, I hope it is today, not sure how to feel, he lies down on the floor, wishing she was with him, be careful what you wish for.' The enigmatic words are enhanced with some inventive musical shapes, shades of dark and light abound. A saxophone provides light while the guitars are always present to provide darkness. There is a genuine sense of tension and release in the music. The lengthy instrumental break is replete with an organic structure made possible by lilting piano and steady percussion. Finally all that is left are Andrew's isolated drums that signify the album is over.

Listening to the album was a complete delight as it provides just the right measure of metal, it took me a while to get into but the vocals are pleasant to listen to and it has a definite progressive feel. I like the simplicity in the message that resonates with those who have been through it. It has just the right measure of metal, listenable vocals and some divine instrumental passages. The highlights for me are the brilliant Solitude, followed closely by In My Dreams and The Great Divide. There are certainly moments that are not as good, and the band will improve with subsequent releases, but this album was still an achievement and comes recommended for those who like prog metal without an abundance of aggression but rather balanced with quiet reflection and musical innovation.