THERE ARE NO ORDINARY MOMENTS

I am occasionally criticized for rarely being a proper music critic in that I never consider posting negative reviews and demolishing verbally some struggling artist is something I am loathe to do. Why? Two main reasons: I witnessed the Rise of the Glory days of Prog in the very late 60s and its agonizing Fall in the late 70s, "panzer blitzkrieged" into a massive venom spittoon by astute anti-prog losers like Lester Bangs, Robert Christgau, the turncoats at Melody Maker and New Musical Express, to name just a few. If you don't like this style, why bother at all? A vegetarian has no business or credibility in discussing their highly opinionated thoughts on a steakhouse, and vice versa. Number two: There is sooooo much amazing music emerging on an hourly basis, 24/7 since the mid Eighties that keeps prog alive and very well, thank you. I purchase a dozen releases a week and I still struggle to catch up! Supporting creative music by being a fan, is my mission, above all else. Rant over!

I am a huge fan of Minneapolis band OVRFWRD, owner of all their albums and was patiently waiting for the pandemic-driven inspiration period to provide me with another first-rate all-instrumental masterpiece. The quartet is a solid as ever, not a single change of personnel since 2014, proof of how tight these guys are, obviously true bandmates. Over the years, I have communicated with keyboardist Chris Malmgren and bassist Kyle Lund, the baton passing onto my favourite American drummer as Rikki Davenport has taken on the task of sending me their brand-new album, the cleverly titled "There Are No Ordinary Moments". Only guitarist Mark Ilaug is left for my future considerations. These are absolutely first-rate musicians, easily on par with all the heavyweights out there and their brand of powerful and daring prog is a true joy to listen to.

The mood is set on "Red Blanket", to my utter astonishment, the brassy trumpet seems to be the main bristle in this extended track that also features some hyper percussive support from Rikki in a jazzier tendency that is a surprise. Though the heavy jazzy feel is overt as well as compelling, make no mistake about the patented Ovrfwrd sound kicking in, especially when the stringed duo muscles into the arrangement. No ordinary moment here! The sonic palette gets a further widening with the sophisticated charm of "Eagle Plains", ambient skies effortlessly portrayed, twinkling piano elegance and twangy guitar swerves, until Davenport sets down a tight shuffle and elevates it all to a higher level. Needless to say, the piece takes on a robust direction that builds with a swirling synth solo, a grinding guitar, and a menacing disposition that organically flourishes into quite the obsessive shrine. Nothing conventional at this juncture!

The bluesy raunch of "The Virtue of?" is a highlight track, the spotlight on a demented electric guitar rant from Mark that is staunchly assertive, verging on psychedelia, a diversion into a driving sonic hallucination that reeks of the early 70s, all that is missing is the incense. I was tempted to be reminded of Robin Trower's fury on "Whiskey Train". The outro is unorthodox through! Delerium settles the score on the slap your face shortie "Flatlander", a brash, noisy, brazen, and fiery workshop of mechanized brutality that should induce some serious perspiration. Extraordinarily nasty! Apparently, a change of pace is in the cards on "Tramp Hollow", an opportunity for the mellotron to direct the atmosphere, choppy piano, bass and drum rhythms not withstanding, and finished off with an undulating organ bit and a catlike guitar romp where Ilaug gets to shine luminously. A fluid piano outro seals the deal. The outro is unorthodox through!

Kyle gets to caress his bass on the opening ambient rivulets of sound on "Notes of the Concubine", enough to provide a comfortably numb anaesthesia that is shocked into reality by an oblique abstraction of jarring notes, a murky mixture of lightning guitar runs, binary beats, obsessive piano and a temperament not too distant from recent King Crimson's more abstract compositions. So much for the Rush comparisons, which this writer always found to be way too simplistic. This is a tortured, angst-ridden, possessed, and severe ride that is tempered with softer transitions that cavort with the inner edges of experimental and jazz rock. Extremely (that word is perfect) creative.

As if there could even be a higher level, the whopping central epic, "Eyota" and its nearly 13 minutes, is a tour de force that transcends the routine and the mundane. Named after a town in Minnesota that is derived from a Sioux term meaning the 'greatest', what else could it possible be but a killer track? Relying heavily on a consummate performance from keyboardist Chis Malmgren, who delivers a virtuoso task on the piano, the arrangement voyages through differing outlooks. The middle section's softer moments are crushingly passionate, the melody beyond gorgeous and the restraint shown on the guitar solo is exemplary. A momentary plunge back into the eruptive gear is perfectly handled, raising the emotions once again. Yet, once again, the sensational piano reverts to expressing the nervous tension, gathering in the rest of the band for a final hurrah. This is perhaps the finest track in their repertoire . An intermezzo is a desperate need after such a colossal experience, so "Chateau La Barre" volunteers that task with a surrealistic pillow of symphonic purity. It also beckons the arrival of the sneaky "Serpentine", a cobra-like assault on the senses, featuring a seething guitar outburst that acts like a rattler's tail, a churning organ reminiscent of a coiling boa, a bass furrow longer that an anaconda and a viper fanged synth flutter. Hysterically eccentric!

Perhaps ideally serving as a summary of their progression, the bass propelled "The Way" perfectly illustrates that talent these four gentlemen keep on proposing with apparent ease. Their brand of instrumental exploration offers not only technical expertise but a showcase for visionary heavy prog with endless shifts and enhancements that keep the interest in full rapture. Richard Davenport dazzles on all the tracks, especially this one. I stated this before and I repeat again, he is my fave current US drummer.

The wait was well-worth it as "There Are No Ordinary Moments", really has no ordinary moments, just extraordinary ones.

5 exceptional flashes

Structuring a band without a singer, who is usually the most direct vehicle of communication to express the ideas developed in words, is an additional challenge for those who travel this route. But for the Americans Ovrfwrd, it doesn't seem to be much of a problem, and with "There are no Ordinary Moments", their fifth album, they prove it. An album that develops fluidly, with pieces that recreate landscapes of clear seventies influence spiced with jazz ingredients, like the watery "Notes of the Concubine" and its experimental Crimsonian airs, or the lively "Serpentine" and its walls of sound that at times resemble the Rush of their second and most recognisable period.

But there is not only a festive revival of heroes of the genre, Ovrfwrd contribute their own harvest to combine a balanced and forceful work, highlighting the great versatility and solvency of Mark Ilaug with the guitars, as in the initial Red Blanket and its powerful riffs, one of the best pieces of the album, or the neat accompaniment in "Tramp Hollow", the brief flamenco wink in the aforementioned "Note of Concubine" and the solo in the conclusive "The Way", the mastery of the keyboards that Chris Malmgren impeccably lavishes on the psychedelic chords of "Eagle Pains", the mellotrons of "The Virtue of. ..", or the dripping spacey sound of the brief "Chateau La Barrre", and the percussive intensity of the witless Richard Davenport, as in the hardened "Flatlander" and the extended "Eyota", backed by the sober bass support of Kyle Lund who, as throughout the work, sustains the rhythmic base with aplomb.

"There are no Ordinary Moments", is a very good album, and although the presence of a singer would surely add nuances to Ovrfwrd's wide palette of colours, it doesn't miss his absence and shows a solid band that not only promises but also delivers, and deserves a greater repercussion than it currently has.

3,5 stars

A great album!

Well, time flies and you suddenly realize you've known a band for like 10 years. It is the case of Ovrfwrd, an instrumental four-member band from the US whose first release saw the light in 2014, the same year they reached and introduced me to their music. Now, ten years later, I am happy to listen and review 'There Are No Ordinary Moments', their fifth studio album, because it is undeniable that time also makes us wiser, more mature, better.

This is a ten-track album whose total length is around 68 minutes. It starts with 'Red Blanket' and I though I am sure it wasn't on purpose, its drumming beginning reminded me a lot of Faith No More's 'The Real Thing', well, after this fun fact, it's important to tell you that the song develops into a jazzy and proggy sound, where winds like trumpet and flute appear to give a wonderful contrast to the fast and powerful drums, along with rocky strings. This is an 8- minute track, and it is wonderful how they manage to put different moods, atmospheres, sounds, a very interesting amalgam.

'Eagle Plains' starts in an atmospheric way, a relaxing mood, piano and nature sounds, but then, as we can expect from a dynamic band like Ovrfwrd, it morphs both musically and emotionally, becoming an amazing progressive rock track where they create a perfect balance between keys, drums and strings. They have the capacity of creating explosive passages that sound elegant at the same time. 'The Virtue of...' has cadency in its jazz rock essence, I love the use of vintage keyboards and how they deliciously contrast with delicate piano and raw guitars. 'Flatlander' is a shorter and heavier track where we can find keyboard craziness and a powerful sound. 'Trampo Hollow' is a very nice track where we can appreciate their musicianship, both in composition and performance. Its obvious they have been playing together for several years, so their musical and even their emotional understanding is wonderfully expressed in songs like this.

'Notes of the Concubine' has an acoustic guitar introduction, then piano joins and together create a delicate sound; then at minute two there is a sudden change, tension is introduced and then we can hear some Crimsonian guitars and rhythms. The song structure changes in different moments, and I love how the four of them share freedom while playing, I mean, we can perceive they share music in a very natural way, fluid, not forced at all; each member plays distinctive notes and rhythms that can work alone, but when the pieces are put together, they give us a solid puzzle of sounds.

The longest track comes with the epic 13-minute 'Eyota' it is a killer song. Though it sounds like an improvisation in its first three minutes, they know how to keep us in mystery and wanting for more. So after 3:30 piano delivers delicate notes that guide bass, drums and guitar into a new immersive and exquisite sound, a trip of instrumental prog rock which does not really sound conventional, and that's part of Ovrfwrd's charm. As you can imagine, this track has several passages where we can find delicacy, tranquility, energy, density and emotions. A wonderful composition indeed with a very heartfelt guitar solo, by the way.

'Chateau La Barre' strats with a dark atmosphere but then it morphs into an interesting electronic prism. It is a very nice short intermission, that let us take a breathe after the long epic. 'Serpentine' has a rockier sound, energy is brought here in a bit heavier way at least for some moments, because Ovrfwrd is about contrasts that wonderfully work, so yeah, in spite of the heavy prog delivered here, we can have also moments of an exquisite delicacy.

The album finishes with 'The Way', yeah, a great way to end this adventurous intrsumental journey where four talented musicians and friends can delight people with compositions that make them and us feel free, where exploration is mandatory, where if you bet, you win. So in the end this is a solid four-star album that I've enjoyed since I first listened to it.

Enjoy it!

Keeping prog rock relevant in Minneapolis since 2012, this four piece who became instrumental because the singer didn't show up to rehearsals has been cranking it out and turning it up for over a decade now and returns in 2024 four years after 2020's "StarStuff." Lucky to keep the exact same lineup of Rikki Davenport (drums, percussion), Kyle Lund (bass), Mark Ilaug (guitar) and Chris Malmgren (keyboards) for 12 years now, OVRFWRD is back with its fifth studio album THERE ARE NO ORDINARY MOMENTS. This album is the band's longest yet and features 10 tracks that add up to over 68 minutes of playing time.

THERE ARE NO ORDINARY MOMENTS pretty much follows in the footsteps of the band's previous canon with knotty instrumental rockers that offer a series of twists and turns usually culminating in energetic guitar solos accompanied by dynamic keyboard runs and the relentless rhythm section of the bass and drums. The band's general mix of jazz, classical and prog is on full display once again with another set of competent tracks that take you on an instrumental journey of a never-ending rotisserie of timbres, tones and stylistic shifts. From mellow yellow to heavier energetic deliveries, the album is fairly consistent in keeping things from stagnating.

While nearly 70 minutes of playing time for an album usually makes me run the other way my desire to review newer music has me checking out albums i probably otherwise would avoid and while perhaps the album could've been edited a bit, THERE ARE NO ORDINARY MOMENTS never seems like it misses a beat or indulges in musical ennui. Somehow this band is adept in crafting various tracks that while firmly in the same camp, differ enough to keep it all interesting. The music is dramatic and boldly drifts through moments of jazzy segments to piano driven prog and then to heavier rock that is just shy of metal. The retro aspects are in the forefront with heavy doses of mellotron and nods to bands like King Crimson and other master instrumentalists of the past but OVRFWRD has developed its own style and therefore stands on its own in the less treaded avenue of all-instrumental prog.

While most tracks are on the shorter side of under five minutes, a few are over eight and the 12 1/2 minute "Eyota" wins for being the longest. This track features the most dynamic shifts of any album with an almost Rachmaninoff playing style of the piano, the most complex on the entire album with more thematic changes than the rest of the lot. Overall OVRFWRD has delivered an excellent playlist of beautifully designed instrumental tracks on THERE ARE NO ORDINARY MOMENTS. The beauty of this album is all about control and OVRFWRD takes special precaution not to let any particular style to drift too far in any particular direction. The musical styles while diverse are tightly reigned in to craft an hour plus' worth of stellar atmospheric prog with heavy moments. Special kudos to the keyboard playing as his ability clearly is on a completely different level.

Typically this style of prog played for this much time would leave me bored to tears but OVERFWRD has mastered the art of subtle melodic flow with all the instruments achieving a complete unity that allows any particular line to create the perfect musical flow where it needs to be. The music isn't rushed therefore it's a rather relaxing album especially with the soft pacifying atmospheric backdrops and even when the guitars get all fiery on ya, there's still an underlying chill to the entire experience. Definitely a unique band that doesn't seem to be on par with many out there and while instrumental prog outside of the more knotty angularities of avant-prog is rarely my bailiwick, i have to surrender to the irresistible charm that OVRFWRD has dished on THERE ARE NO ORDINARY MOMENTS.

Back with their fifth album in ten years, all with the same line-up, instrumental quartet Ovrwfrd continue to prove it is possible to be dynamic, exciting and engaging without a frontman. Playing a genre such as progressive rock is to scratch an itch, not to make money and become household names (sadly), and to cut back the possible listeners even further by forgoing the use of a singer clearly demonstrates just how much this style of music means to them all. Mark Ilaug (electric & acoustic guitars), Chris Malmgren (keyboards), Kyle Lund (bass) and Richard Davenport (drums & percussion) prove that when all musicians are in sync, they create a world where nothing else exists.

It would be easy to say the band relies heavily on the skill and musicianship of Mark and Chris to drive the melodies, such is the interplay between them and the way they mix and weave the threads, taking over or leading the other one in, but that would greatly diminish the roles of Kyle and Richard who are key to the overall success. Take "Eyota" for example, for the vast majority of that piece it is just Mark and Chris, with the others eventually making their presence felt, but it is the not playing and allowing space to breathe which really makes this. That this album was recorded in just five days last August is hard to comprehend, which shows there must have been a lot of live interaction between them. A special note should also be made of trumpeter Dave Foley who plays on opening number "Red Blanket", taking the band much more in a JRF fashion, yet that is just for one song as here we have a band revelling in heavy prog, with some neo tendencies here and there (and some symphonic). This never feels like a prog band out to demonstrate just how clever they are, but instead there is a focus and direction which is often missing with instrumental acts.

Five albums in, and they continue to surprise and delight, long may it continue.