SYNAESTHESIA

As soon as I saw that this band have released their debut on GEP I was excited to hear what they are about. The label may not have released many different artists over the years, but given that their roster has included bands such as Jadis, Threshold and Big Big Train, as well as of course the mighty IQ then my excitement is fully justified. Then I realized that it had been produced by none other than Mike Holmes himself, so I became even more intrigued. Add to that the fact that the opening song is some 22 minutes long and all the signs were definitely pointing in the right direction. The fact that this band has been put together by a young unknown keyboard player, Adam Warne, who also wrote all the songs and sang them only added to the interest.

I felt that there was no way that I could possibly be disappointed by this, and boy was I right. Slightly more Crossover than Neo, this is an album that is immediate and for me hearkens right back to the Nineties when the UK scene was just exploding with incredible bands and great albums. This has pretty much all one could wish for from a progressive rock album: it turns and twists, allowing everyone to take the spotlight when the time is right, and always driving forward. Although Adam is a keyboard player this is not an album that is overtly dominated by keys, but is incredibly well balanced and allows the twin guitars to shine and dominate when the time is right. But he also has a Steven Wilson approach to vocals, and there is clarity and emotion in all that he does in that arena, shining above the music with real passion and vitality.

There have been some standout debuts in the last six months or so (Mice on Stilts and Perfect Beings for example) and this is yet another. Their links with IQ have already seen them benefit in terms of gigs, but they have to stand on their own right and with this album they definitely do it. No doubt this is going to feature in many end of the year lists, it is that good. www.synaesthesiahq.com