GEOGRAPHY

A third album in five years for OVERWORLD DREAMS, an American band from NEW JERSEY, unfortunately the last for Randy SANDMANN, one of the guitarists, founder and co-leader of the group, who died of a brain tumor a few months ago in October 2023. Obviously this "Geography" is dedicated to him by his "Brothers in Arms" who decided not to replace him and to continue as a quintet.

Only two tracks on this disc but one of twenty-six minutes in eight sub-parts and the other of twenty-three minutes in three sub-parts. The main vocals are provided by Matt MAUGERI who also fiddles with six strings on certain passages, his vocal phrasing is not exceptional but remains correct for me, the great slayer of the subject; he is also very well helped and supported by Elizabeth HOLDER one of the keyboard players of OVERWORLD DREAMS as on "Geography" from the fifth minute. After several listens, this track is less obvious than the second, more tortuous in a way, but it's still Rock In Opposition! You will also tell me about the keyboard joust present around the twentieth minute of "Geography", modeled emphatically and exuberantly as I like them.

For the influences admitted or not, the YES of the great era came to mind for the use of acoustic guitars and twelve strings à la Steve HOWE, the saccharine but nevertheless very symphonic keyboards as Rick WAKEMAN distributed them here and there in a group but also as a solo artist or even KATE BUSH for the almost childish vocals of Elizabeth HOLDER in the first part of the second piece "Forces of Nature".

Logically, given the length of the album's two tracks, you will need maximum concentration to fully appreciate the music of OVERWORLD DREAMS, a combo that did not overly seduce me in its first two works, nor the first "Voyage" in 2018, and even less so the second "Gateway" in 2020, which shows that nothing is ever lost. I took the time to listen to these two previous albums again before embarking on this geography course...you never know...and my opinion remains the same, I perceived a rational qualitative and creative leap between the "Gateway " of 2020 and this "Geography" of 2024.

Incidentally, I also invite the curious to take a look at the three Under The Covers published between 2020 and 2023 (available in full on YT) where OVERWORLD DREAMS has fun by covering GENESIS, Peter GABRIEL, RUSH, STYX, UK, PORCUPINE TREE and I forget a few.

The icing on the cake is of course the remarkable iconography of Belarusian artist Ed UNITSKY who had already worked with OVERWORLD DREAMS on their two previous studio records .

Already a more than credible candidate for a top 5 at the end of the year.