MISCELLANY

Watch closely. I am really tempted to slap a really high rating on this new EP from the always amazing Russian band iamthemorning. I don't care if this EP, "Miscellany", only has two new songs. I don't care if this EP was an afterthought of sorts. What I do care about is the fact that this short EP is chock full of beautiful melodies, amazing vocals, and excellent musicianship. That, my friends, is what draws me to this band time and time again.

First of all, if you don't know who iamthemorning is, you should rectify that immediately. This two-piece band plays a refreshing form of chamber rock. Well, if you want to call it "rock". It's basically progressive music of some type mixed with neoclassical influences and a distinct artistic personality. It's light, fresh, stunningly beautiful, and thick with artistic integrity.

Now, "Miscellany" is an EP released by the band to tide us over until the launch of their imminent second album. Like I said, it features two new songs and some live and alternative tracks. First of all, the new tracks are amazing. "To Human Misery" is incredibly emotional and even hopeful. It shows iamthemorning at their best, honestly. The next track is "The Simple Story", another emotional track that features Gavin Harrison on some rather unique drums. These two tracks are surprisingly addictive and simply powerful.

The remainder of the tracks are either live or alternate versions, most of them from the first album. This is NOT a bad thing, especially if you don't own their first album. All of these songs are interesting and I even find that this London version of "Touching II" is the best version yet. That means a lot because I believe it to be their best song. Every single track on this EP is worthwhile, both for your time and your money. So, even though I cannot give this EP the highest honors, it still is very, very strong and promises an amazing sophomore album from my favorite Russian band.

Gleb and Marjana are currently working on the second album, but to prevent fans from having to wait too long they released this EP at the beginning of 2014 that contains some new songs, along with reworked versions of songs on the first album. Yet again I am struck by the quality of their performances, and is also worth commenting on the arrangements as they seem to intuitively know what they need on each song to maximize the potential, So there may be a few drums here, or additional keyboards, or strings, but always at the very heart of this is delicate piano and fragile vocals that draw the listener in to a wonderful world. Kate Bush mixed with Enya, with control and passion and never ever falling into New Age.

It is incredible to think that these guys are virtually unknown outside of a fairly small circle, as in many ways they are on of prog's best kept secrets which is just criminal as music as controlled and beautiful as this really does deserve to be heard by a much wider audience. I found myself enthralled with this EP, the production is superb, and I was drawn into a world of their making each time I listened to it. These guys are one of the best bands I have come across this year, with consistent high quality and a majestic presence that really belies what they are doing with the fragile and delicate music. Surely it can only be a matter of time before these guys get picked up by a major as this is a rare beauty indeed.

Russian duo IAMTHEMORNING was formed back in 2010, and with their debut album ~ (tilde) they fairly quickly grabbed the attention of a fairly broad audience also outside of their native Russia. This self-released digital production was released in physical format the following year, and the buzz around this band continued to grow.

In the summer of 2013 they managed to raise the funds a recording trip to London, and while awaiting the new album many was rather keenly expecting following this, the band decided to release an EP for the eager fans awaiting new material. Since then iamthemorning have been picked up by prestigious UK label Kscope and released their second album to critical acclaim, but this EP is one that merits a check and a purchase by fans old and new alike as well I'd think.

On might claim that this just over 20 minutes long EP doesn't offer a whole lot, but that depends on what you're looking for. There's not all that much material exclusive to this production as such, but there are alternate version s of old and new material to enjoy here that might just reveal some additional sides to the qualities of this duo.

Vocalist Marjana has a magnificent voice, with comparisons that can be made towards vocalists such as Kate Bush, Tori Amos and, at least for me as a Norwegian, Anneli Drecker, and in the sparse piano and vocals version of Scotland her qualities as a singer really shines brightly, as does the talent of her companion Gleb on the piano. The manner in which intensity is increased on this song is just impressively well done.

While other of the alternative versions might not be quite as stunning all of them are beautiful experiences, melancholic, mournful and sad creations that are also stunningly beautiful, frail and powerful on an emotional level. Second song The Simple Story is the clear highlight however, with bass, drums and some guitars fleshing out the soundscapes and supporting the qualities of Gleb and Marjana in an impressive manner.

One might describe iamthemorning as chamber folk, art pop or progressive pop music, and other options may also apply. The basis of this project are stunning, female lead vocals and excellent supporting piano though, with a certain emphasis on melancholic and mournful atmospheres, and of that sounds like material that might be of interest then iamthemorning is a band to take not of, if you haven't already done so. A band that should have a very bright future ahead of them, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if this duo could become full time musicians making a good living from their music within a relatively short period of time.

Between the first two albums, Iamthemorning released this EP containing a couple of tracks from the incoming album "Belighted" and the rest from their excellent debut. Probably it was a way to "taste the public reactions" before releasing the album. Nothing to say about Marjana and Gleb, having less or more instrumentists, arranging the songs in a way or another doesn't impact on the great vocals and the fantastic skill of Gleb as pianist and composer.

Comparing the EP versions with the "official ones" doesn't make justice to them, as most of the EP is unplugged. Despite being unplugged, anyway, there is a number of guest musicians as usual, and PORCUPINE TREE's drummer Gavin Harrison playing on "The Simple Story" represents the beginning of a collaboration that will bring the duo to record their third album "Lighthouse" in the UK.

The songs don't suffer for being unplugged, and I have to say that the piano performance can be better appreciated. As a true musician, Gleb Kolyadin sometimes sacrifices the piano when the songs are arranged for a complete band, but in the unplugged versions the importance of the piano is restored.

So it's an interesting EP for who already follows the band. Now that some years are passed and more albums have seen the light, the original purpose of the EP has lost its sense, but it remains an excellent "unplugged".