WANDERLUST

Progarchives asks you to confirm a 5-star rating, and there's little hesitation here: Little Atlas is the best new prog band I've heard in years. If I recall, I've heard some comparisons to Spock's Beard, which are unfounded because Little Atlas is better (with this album being on par with Spock's all-time best, Beware of Darkness). Historical references: you hear a bit of the atmosphere of Genesis, the expertise of Yes, the quirkiness of Gentle Giant. Where to start: the musicianship from everyone is excellent (the one downside - a bit too much guitar from the King Crimson Discipline era). The vocals are interesting and unique: so many prog singers are either Gabrielesque, or airy fairy Anderson, but the vocals are - in a happy way - more similar to someone belting out fantastic tales at an old pub. The songs are epic in structure and very serendipitous, yet somehow Little Atlas manages to achieve in say, 7 minutes, what might take a lesser band 14 minutes. Each track is a mini-epic. But the best quality is the songwriting: the melodies are timeless, remarkable, and stay with you. This is a great album recommended to any prog fan.