BUTTERFLY MIND

A very pleasant surprise from Tim Bowness' latest studio album, titled 'Butterfly Mind', as the master songwriter proposes a collection of great, melodic and highly melancholic songs that expand on his pop-prog crossover leanings, while maintaining an interesting relationship with the more electronic sounds that have been perpetrating the British musician's sonic craft over the course of his last couple of albums. It is always enjoyable to sit down and listen to the guy's haunting yet captivatingly tranquil singing voice interact with the synthy/proggy instrumental explorations, especially as they are proposed on 'Butterfly Mind', a minor triumph of minimalistic and modern aesthetics interwoven with a feeling of profound and empathy and gripping melancholy. It is worthy to mention that a cast of stellar guest musicians have jumped in on board to help Bowness make this great album.

Electronic leanings and synth-led soundscapes should not surprise anyone, given the main man's No-Man years. But the highlight for me in Bowness' solo releases is how concise he always manages to present them, on the one hand, and on the other, how emotionally and musically rich they always come out to be. 'Butterfly Mind' is no exception to this rule, and in fact, it comes off as one of the better releases of his catalogue, in my humble opinion. The more upbeat moments on the album do, however, sound more convincing than the mellower or more atmospheric numbers, like 'It's Easier to Love' or 'Lost Player'. This would certainly mean that tracks like 'Always the Stranger', a proggy electronic 3-minute long striker, the captivating 'Only A Fool', the elegant and memorable 'Glitter Fades', the main piece of the album, the 8-minute long 'Dark Nevada Dream', or the more traditional rock approach found on 'We Feel', could be indicated as the highlights, although it is fair to say that there aren't any weak spots on here.

With all of these in mind, one could conclude that Bowness' elevating new piece of studio material is an exquisitely fresh offering from the crossover side of the alternative or progressive rock umbrella, whichever you prefer. Elegance and intricacy do not overshadow the emotive presentation, the lovely melodies, or the memorable and though-provoking lyrics. An overall step-up in this discography.