SCORCH

Dave Gregory could do no wrong in 2014 having also been involved with Big Big Train and their masterpiece Folklore. It's hard to decide which of those albums I prefer if they were to be in a 'prog off'! This one is very much guitar based and with no keys in evidence. As a big fan of keyboard bands like ELP, this could be a problem for me but really it isn't. This has garnered many so many happy listens on my i-pod as I strolled along Bournemouth promenade. The lush guitar tones , ultra tight rhythm section and lovely melodious vocal almost make me feel like I'm on the west coast of America rather than the parochial south coast of England! Favourite tracks are undoubtedly the 15 minute Garden State along with Binary Man (''all you add up to is one'') but all hits the mark. Superb album and seemingly will now their last release. BBT were beginning to gain some (dare I say) traction and Gregory's focus was being switched elsewhere.

1. Carnivore.. the flame, the crackling fire, the XTC sound even on a desert island I will recognize it between 1000; an instrumental in the typical English pop prog vein, fruity and rhythmic 2. Summer Now on a marshmallow melodic tune... sweetness and languor combined, the musical space seems to melt in the ears, the melodic side more forward than the technique, in a corner I smell the scent of Robert FRIPP with this sound tormented; not transcendent but thirst-quenching like a fruit juice cut with water to go down more easily 3. Old Hands for a pop song sound that doesn't reach me as much as the previous one, certainly innovative, there I'm missing; crossover rock drift, sort of catch-all then it suddenly swells, you prick up your ears, the notes stretch out and you realize that it's really good

4. Binary Man muscular riff and complex tune, on a progressive search where the voice seems to just accompany the notes 5. Little Eyes arrives with this metronomic guitar phrasing; hypnotic to better capture the ear; level of his self who digs to look for reminiscences, Joe JACKSON comes to me, otherwise the fruity jazzy guitar on the great masters of jazz of course; the finale is heavier, more rock, a little on VELVET, LOU REED, CLAPTON, uncompromising rock 6. Wrapped and Tied looks back at a musical artifact, the kind of thing you don't know how it was created in the first place; the crazy break with the bass in front, a sweet moment 7. She Moves Among Us for the delicious guitar arpeggio, the thing you want to reproduce; halfway through you are surprised by this semi-Andalusian drift which rocks you; on headphones you are overwhelmed by the notes 8. Garden State for the eponymous title, uncompromising rock, fruity sound yes I already wrote it, melodic yes too, mystery, a progressive evolution with these chiseled guitars yes; TIN SPIRITS yes which shows above all that prog can be played without keyboards and that is important in my opinion; music should be played according to this principle, to please oneself, to please others without looking for clichés of the genre, just to play notes which together create a serene, tranquilizing and enjoyable climate; a difficult title to analyze, to dissect, just to let yourself be invaded by their unique sound.

There was the BEATLES, there was XTC, there was TIN SPIRITS for the taste of melody, that's it.