CROCODILE

One look at the cover and a double check of the title and one could well imagine that here was a country and western album, and you would be right, but you would also be very wrong indeed. After the wonderful debut 'His Name Is Stan And He's A Bad motherf**ker' in 2018, and the subsequent 'Howling Mad Black Music Under Hot Stars' the following year, the band took a little longer to return with their third release which has seen them move in quite a different direction. Within the band we still have Kevin Sims (guitars, vocals), Greg Seale (drums) and Ted Thomas (bass, vocals) but keyboard player Thomas Shaw has left to be replaced by Philip Spann. There are still plenty of progheads who feel that prog is a genre and style, whereas I have always felt that it is that indeed but is also so much more and I love it when musicians don't bother thinking outside the box but instead refuse to acknowledge its assistance in the very first place.

What we have here are a progressive rock band taking a journey into the heavily uncharted waters of country and western, picking up Steely Dan on the way, to create a spaghetti western prog concept, which is unusual to say the least. According to the band the album, "tells the story of Otter, a white man who loses his young and beautiful wife Annalee one spring morning when their property is raided by a clan of Comanche Indians. He is broken and resolves to drink himself to death. And Thorn Eater, an American Indian, who loses his son Crawfish to smallpox. He is broken and resolves to find the place which his ancestors told of where one might reconnect with the spirit of their lost ones. A place called The Hidden City. On his journey Thorn Eater comes upon the Last Stop Saloon. A rough place in the middle of nowhere. Inside he has a run in with a drunken white slumped at the end of the bar (Otter) and after a few hateful words and a brawl, Thorn Eater, realizing they are the same in their pain and loss, tells Otter about The Hidden City and invites him to come along. They leave the Last Stop and Thorn Eater shares his tea with Otter. Peyote tea. They enter The Hidden City and the real story begins."

Imagine all that wrapped up in melodic hook-laden music which refuses to take itself seriously while having a blast throughout. This is light, exciting, and just so much damn fun to listen to. Somehow, the different threads come together to create something which is commercial and accessible while also being quite unlike anything else around. They have taken their influences and moved them into a totally different level while also having fun, such as using some very twee synth sounds at the beginning of "The Horse's Eyes" which are a delight. This is a blast throughout, exciting, fully of life and joy, and all one can do while playing is to do so with a smile. Here we have a prog album which is not taking itself seriously at all and is all the better for it.

Earlier this year I reviewed Crocodile's 2019 album 'Howling Mad Black Music Under Hot Stars', and now I have gone back in time to 2018 to discover their debut. This is a concept album, based on the boss of a firm one of the guys worked for on remodelling/renovating houses. Apparently, they worked together on and off for 15 years, and this album was then written some 15 years on from that, during which time they had not been in contact. However, on checking out their site it appears they have since presented Stan with a copy of the album and he loves it! It is the same four guys from Austen, Texas on each album, namely Greg Seale (drums), Thomas Shaw (keyboards and vocals), Kevin Sims (guitar and lead vocals) and Ted Thomas (bass and vocals). Somewhat unsurprisingly, given it is the same personnel, and there is only a year between their first two albums, this is in a very similar vein to the follow-up and consequently I love it.

As I said for the second release, here is an American band which do not sound American at all, but very British indeed. The electric guitar is far more hard rock in timbre and attack than many, but there is also a great deal of complexity and angularity in their attack. That they are influenced by pronk as much as neo prog is never in doubt, yet it is the blending of this with more traditional styles which really makes them stand out. Gentle Giant is never far away from what they are doing, both in the timely use of glockenspiel and the long instrumental sections which always have direction and purpose as opposed to meandering. Mind you, the tile track always makes me think of classic 10CC which is not what many people expect from a prog act! I somehow can't imagine Eric Gouldman singing the repeated line which is the main lyric on what is a mostly instrumental song. They use harmony vocals when the time is right, move the music around in terms of tempo and attack, and the result is something where the listener is never sure where they are going to be taken but know it will always be with a big smile on their face. Both their albums are well worth investigating, so I wonder when the next one is due?

Crocodile are a progressive rock band from Austen, Texas, comprising Greg Seale (drums), Thomas Shaw (keyboards and vocals), Kevin Sims (guitar and lead vocals) and Ted Thomas (bass and vocals). 'Howling Mad Black Music Under Hot Stars' is their second album, following on from 2018's 'His Name Is Stan And He's A Bad Motherf**ker' which I haven't heard. Both album titles are intriguing, neither of which exactly scream prog, yet that is what we have here at least, an album which is interesting, beguiling, compelling and complex and at all times absolutely fascinating. This is music taking the listener on a journey with many twists and turns, so that one is never really sure what is going to happen next or where one is going to end up.

Mostly guitar-led, with strong vocals, this is modern progressive rock which has its roots in the neo scene yet also looks into strong melodies and choppy powerful numbers. Just seven songs, all between the five and eight minute mark, they are give them enough time to develop ideas and be intriguing without ever overstaying their welcome. There are some interesting touches of pronk here and there, and one could imagine these guys going down well with fans of the likes of Cardiacs or Poisoned Electrick Head, yet there is also more than a hint of Pineapple Thief about what they are doing, as well as more than a touch of Gentle Giant. The result is something which feels modern and refreshing which I have enjoyed immensely. It is hard to realise these guys are Texans as this is a British as it comes in its approach and finesse. Well worth discovering.

Crocodile is a Neo-prog band from Austin, Texas, US that was founded in 2017, who released their first album in 2018. Their 2nd album, entitled "Howling Mad Black Music Under Hot Stars" was released on October 1, 2019. The quartet features Kevin Sims (guitar, vocals), Greg Seale (drums), Ted Thomas (bass, vocals), and Thomas Shaw (keyboards, vocals). The album consists of 7 tracks and has a run time of over 43 minutes.

The album starts with the call of crows, a thumping bass and the drone of a keyboard which is soon taken over by a lilting guitar line, a melodic guitar/synth passage and a rousing introduction catches fire and explodes into a memorable instrumental climax early on, before bringing in the vocals after 2 minutes. The sound lies somewhere in between Neo-prog and Heavy prog styles, guitar arpeggios boil with an alternative sense with a tense vocal melody with keys twinkling around in there bringing a bit of light in the mostly dark sound. During the instrumental break, a synth solo whistles along for a while before the music returns to the main vocal theme again. The melody isn't necessarily a standard melody, but isn't really complex either, again lying inbetween the two styles, the music stays complex enough to be interesting, but isn't over the top in it's complexities either, staying comfortable right in the middle, a good place to be ..It's an excellent start for the album, and establishes the feel of the album.

"I Was Dreaming" has a bit more of a lighter feel to it, with undertones of jazz sensibilities, but still teetering on the fine line between neo and heavy prog styles. This track has a more laid-back feel, smoothly moving along as the vocals explore this new melody as the instruments add the flair needed to keep it all from dragging, but instead turning it into a nice swirling sound with a tendency to lean jazz-ward. "Dark Inverted Jubilee" puts the band comfortable in the Neo-prog realm with tricky, changing meters, the melody much more complex than previously, yet the music staying safely in the neo-prog style, while retaining an alternative undertone. "Lovesick Wanderer" begins with a more standard and solid beat with a great guitar solo echoed by the keys. The beat can vary off a bit staying true to the progressive sound, but overall carries the song forward in a steady and infectious rhythm while the vocals and instruments play around with and take good advantage of the bouncy rhythm. The mix of instruments is perfect with both the guitars and keys being utilized equally.

"Shed My Skin" goes for a more funky groove, fitting in a nice mix of jazz fusion, a slightly reggae flavor and bits of progressive style. It's another happy sounding beat that still retains that alternative flair. The band takes on their inner "Steely-Dan" on this track with a smart use of keys providing the groove while the guitar gets to do some improvising around the main riff and the rhythm section keeps things in the infectious jazz groove. "The Genie (in Full Flower)" goes for a more complex and heavier sound, again moving back to the boundary between Neo and Heavy prog sub-genres again. Also, once again, the use of keys and guitar is perfect, both lead instruments shining through, but also a underlying dissonant unease to keep you on edge. "Avis Ender" finishes it all off with a smoothly flowing and sparkling sound, again reminiscent of Steely Dan, but a bit rougher keeping the alternative edge there. There are some great Neo-prog sounds in there, the music staying a bit unpredictable, as it should, just staying on the more complex side so the music is challenging enough, yet still accessible enough to generate interest. As it continues, though, and reaches the last few minutes, it gets quite intense and ends up producing a very rousing and exciting guitar solo to end the album with.

This album ends up begin quite enjoyable when it's all said and done, easy enough to dive into as far as accessibility, yet interesting enough to make you want to keep coming back. It's a great combination, mostly of neo-progressive styles, but at times wavering on the Heavy Prog side of things. However, there are a few more standard feeling tracks here too, yet even those are filled with hooks and surprises that make them appealing also in the long-range likeability of the album. It is all well mixed and produced with a good quality sound, yet has the polish buffed off to keep that raw, alternative edge to it throughout. The obvious inspiration from Steely Dan shines through at times on the tracks, but the music never feels dated, rather, it is quite current and thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end.

At some point, I dropped my pen.

The pen that dissects and analyzes,

It simply didn't matter. After all, we are delving deeper, diving down, leaving behind the mundane, the listless, the inane, the mindless.

Rather, we engage, the soul, the spirit of the Bird of Fire, the call of the vulture, the bird of prey, to evoke and call forth the passions and madness of love.

At some point the music-

The music which flows, and twists, and suggests, and returns- the music must bear you away, upon its shoulders, within its bosom, upon its audacious, sometimes mendacious ways.

There is no ego-swollen skull-shattering fretwork, nor keyboard wizardry, no head-banging, chord-bashing, or glittering showmanship.

Rather, sensuous, subtle, artful, elemental, nuanced musical compositions that become a unified whole. In these seven tracks, seven segments of soulful exploration, jazz-inflected, edgy, poetic musings, we must STOP the chatter and the nattering, and allow something much more essential to emerge.

It's there, oh yes indeed.

References to Eden, the Bird of Fire, the flocks and flotillas of the avian and the evanescent universes in which we are but dancing particles...

And we seek to lose ourselves, to find, to lust, to love, to individuate, to conjoin, to weep, and perhaps to rejoice- in the company of the OTHER, who may not at last be there, yet never has left.

This album is the stuff of myth, of longing, of sensation that lies beneath the rational mind, and that if not curtailed- that mind will stultify the dancing spirit waiting to be unleashed herein.

These songs, this music, these lyrics, swoop and soar, dive and plummet, grab us by the lapels and rip away our outer skin, seething and seeking and searing what lies within.

Spirit.