SONGS FOR BEATING HEARTS

God's gift to Big Big Train and Beardfish founder, Rikard Sjöblom, returns from his self-imposed exile upon British soil. In 2015 he abandoned his home country and Beardfish mates to join the British prog masters, immediately elevating them to one of the planet's finest crafters of traditional progressive rock. Something has prompted him to resuscitate his old band. Prog World should stand up and give him a standing ovation!

1. "Ecotone" (4:30) sounding a lot like a Guy Manning song, the calm, pastoral sound palette and musical arrangement over the first 90 seconds is unexpected, but then tensions start to mount with bass and female vocals (the latter courtesy Amanda Örtenhag) but the band stays the original course: continuing to propel this remarkably-Guy Manning-like song forward. There are several creative/interesting tangents along the way showing compositional maturity but ultimately this is nothing earth-shattering. (8.875/10) 2. "Out in the Open" (20:33) now this is the Beardfish we've come to know and expect: demanding instrumental performances of sophisticated time- and thematic-shifting When Rikard's singing joins the music, it reconfirms the fact that Rikard's less-than usually-processed voice has aged. Still, this is the kind of widely-dynamic, shape- and mood- shifting prog that Prog World needs and expects from one of its 21st Century leaders. Though I like and appreciate the more complex and angular sections of music, I'm surprised at how much I like the softer, more pastoral TFK-like passages (like in Part 3). The quality is top notch but the spirit (the conveyance of joy and enthusiasm) is a bit lacking-- as if parts are a bit forced (as if by expectations, outside and inside) or serving to check off certain boxes. Above all, however, it just feels good to have a band of such competent musicians and composers back offering true prog to the world. (36.5/40)

3. "Beating Hearts" (11:01) opening with a 38-second overture from a string quartet, the heavy rock version ensues thereafter, with heavily-distorted "old Rock" instruments on every wing. At 1:48 a turn in direction unveils an acoustic palette for the following vocal passage. Electric guitar is very present. In the fourth minute the string quartet rejoins in support of the current motif. Interesting! Manning and Nektar-ish at the same time. As other reviewers have pointed out, the changes in motifs on this song are quick and sometimes startling, never expected--they come so fast! And each motif seems quite stark in its difference from the previous one(s). Definitely an interesting epic. Bass player Robert Hansen is rock solid throughout while guitarist David Zackrisson has some real moments of incandescence. Heck! Rikard's emotional power vocals even shine! I do, however, like best the way in which the string quartet was/is woven into the mix, sometimes on their own, sometimes woven into the mix with all of the folk rock or heavy rock stuff. (17.75/20)

4. "In the Autumn" (5:58) a powerful song that has a distinctive Southern Rock feel to it (not unlike those of The ALLMAN BROTHERS and Jared Leach's GHOST DISCIPLINE) with an uber-talented Sarah Hoefer-sound-alike Amanda Örtenhag stepping up to the front in a commanding performance. Other than the vocal and guitar displays, this is not that great of a song. (8.75/10)

5. "Ecotone (Reprise)" (0:43) reverb-drenched keyboard interlude. What for? (4/5)

6. "Torrential Downpour" (8:29) more Southern Rock, this time a little heavier. The music is less sophisticated, less dense and intricate than the Beardfish music of old. While listening to this, I hear BON JOVI, IRON MAIDEN, YES, NEKTAR, and many others. (17.625/20)

7. "Ecotone - Norrsken 1982 Edition" (Bonus Track) (6:13) a re-mastered version of the original Ecotone from way back in 1982.

Total Time 57:27

Having listened to the album through and realized how the opening song was actually a remake of one of Rikard/the band's oldest songs (from 1982), I can well imagine that the making of this album was spattered with many such trips down memory lane.

B/four stars; an excellent album for any prog lover to try out. It's good to have Beardfish back in the arena.