CARY HEUCHERT

It is dreamy, full of space, without a care as Cary sings his love songs in an era when the world was full of peace and love. It is an incredibly relaxing album, full of space within the arrangements, which can be surprisingly complex even when coming across as being simple. The more this is played the more one notices the nuances here and there from different instruments which add to the overall feeling without ever intruding into the sound. The ballads have a simplicity which feels so at odds with the rushing and hectic world we now live in, and the album moves us in both emotion and time.

It is an album which benefits from being played on headphones when one really has the time to devote to it and relax into Cary's world from a time past.

Lyrically devoted to, indeed obsessed with, everlasting love for that one special someone and the shift it signals in one's view of the incessant march of hours, the spacey mostly acoustic arrangements and Heuchert's balmy voice remain the preeminent aspects of his signature. And that is a good thing, as they mostly compensate for the almost unbroken string of earnest platitudes that form the basis of most of the vocal sections. The opener, "This is the Time", and closer "Fortune Smiles", are more mystical to my ears, while "Together" whisks in a relatively more aggressive arrangement including a fine lead guitar solo, making these three my picks for the long haul. Tony Pagliuca of LE ORME offers up luxuriant guest piano on "You are the World to me". The tepid old rock of "I Don't Want to Say Goodnight to You" certainly introduces contrast but the end result is more discord than diversity.

"Hourglass" shouldn't disappoint those familiar with Heuchert and, while I might recommend his "Nocturne" album first to prog listeners, your time would be well spent right here.

In my review of his previous album "Blue Rain" I was struck by it's elegant simplicity, yet laced with subtle complexities. There was, I thought, a 1960s folk sounding light psychedelia with prog components, something along the lines of early Pink Floyd had they gone all in on a singer songwriter mode. This was intelligent relaxing fare that could as I wrote then, ease you in to your day or help you decompress on out in the evening.

So being that a long time has gone by between albums, what do we find this time? For the most part, a logical and bit more refined extension of his previous work, generally in the same palette of colors. This is by no means a bad thing. What Cary does, he does well, and more of it is a good thing. This is not to say that there is not some new elements to discover. While most of the songs as expected are acoustically or very light electric oriented, there are some surprising and welcome sharper solos laced throughout to create some nice contrasts. One of the things about his previous album that I really liked was that it had a production sound that seemed a bit back dated, a bit fuzzy at the edges, almost if it had actually been recorded in the sixties. It fit the music well and really took you back in time in a nostalgic way. This album, definitely feels a bit more tightly produced and clean, a bit more modern, a bit more polished, yet the sense of being back dated is not lost. The fact that the songs tap the roots of an older time and sound does much to create that feeling as well. That is, they create a sense of while you know you are hearing something new, they feel familiar, like the comfort of spending time with old friends.

Cary's vocals and song writing, just as they were in his previous album, are again a high point of the production. His voice continues to be a pleasant fit with his lyrical content, which as previously, is a big step intellectually above most music in the public eye. The arrangements themselves tend to be spartan in nature, with a limited number of instruments, but it is a credit to Cary's musical talent and obvious affinity for the songs of old, that there always seems to be a certain density and complexity that raises his songs above simple folk or easy listening, but gives them a muted progressive edge.

These are not long songs, everything is under five minutes. In fact, the album clocks in at a mere 38 minutes total. That in its own right takes us back to the days of yore when vinyl albums were usually under 40 minutes maximum. A bit more of that nostalgic essence is derived in this I believe. Overall, the album length seems good as it doesn't overstay it's welcome, nor is it stuffed with filler as often seems to happen when artists start running up an hour or more of material in a single release. What is of note, is that although a number of the tracks are short, there still tends to be some interesting changes in tempo, instrumentation, and such that keeps them from being so simple that one loses interest in them after hearing them a time or two.

So, let's briefly review the songs:

"This is the Time" A lovely soft acoustic guitar ballad, compelling vocal, reminiscent of that early Pink Floyd feeling with some light guitar effects that give it an interesting tone. A strong start that sets the bar for what's to come (10/10)

"The Sea of faces" Starts with a eerie wind like tone , blends into a guitar and percussion, a more up tempo vocal and pace, some interesting spacey musical effects about half way through to nearly the end, and then closes back up with a reprise of the opening guitar and vocal work. Let's us know there will definitely be progressive elements in these songs. (9/10)

"You are the World to Me" Slows things back down again. Another lovely ballad that features the excellent piano work of guest artist Tony Pagliuca of RPI band Le Orme fame. An obvious tip of the hat that Cary is well respected in the progressive community and is drawing on those talents to blend those elements into his songs. (9.5/10)

"Waiting for You" This changes the pace once again and starts with a hypnotic low keyboard rhythm, acoustic guitar joins over the top, and again is very Pink Floyd inspired. A mild psychedelic flavor prevails, enhanced by a ticking clock like percussion element throughout until the end. (10/10)

"From the Corner of my Eye" A more uptempo guitar oriented ballad, joined by a new sound, a flute or a synth generated flute effect perhaps? This has a more pastoral flavor. Very nice! (9/10)

"Forever and So Far" Opens again with piano, acoustic guitar, almost a bouncy vocal, again capturing that early folk atmosphere, almost a sing along type track. (8/10)

"Together" Opens with a surprise as we are greeted with some sharp electric guitar riffing. Curiously, when playing this track a friend of mine heard it and remarked, "Who is this? Sounds a bit like Donovan." I hadn't made that connection, but realized they were right, both vocally, and with the electric guitar play. If there is a 'rocker' on this album this is it! A favorite track for me! (10/10)

"I Don't want to Say Goodnight to You" This is probably the second most 'rocker' track, back to back with the previous song, and has a pleasant nostalgic early upbeat blues sound to it. But it also has something I noted in his last release, that he sometimes channels the spirit of the Beatles, and that seems to be lingering at the back of this track, definitely though, the very early sound of the Beatles... (8/10)

"Hourglass" This is the title track. This one again changes the pace entirely and opens as a very stripped down ballad, similar to the opening track featuring Cary's emotive vocals, which this time come at us with a very cool reverb echo effect. But unlike the first track this one gradually builds up with percussion, drums, and eventually features a great restrained distorted guitar solo, and closes out with the return of the ticking clock type percussion and some backwards notes. (9.5/10)

"When Fortune Smiles" This one falls back on the psychedelia framework, great guitar play, acoustic picking and strumming, underlying dense bass, and another vocal that sounds just slightly like it's coming up to us from a tunnel. A real sixties folk flashback for sure. A great finish to this collection of songs! (10/10)

As I said in my review of "Blue Rain", if you want bombast in your progressive music, this probably isn't for you. But, if you have a certain longing and reminiscence for bits and pieces of the folk, psychedelia, and light rock of the sixties, this varied collection will provide an alchemy that you should most certainly enjoy.

As can be seen from my scores, the songs here are of a very high quality, so I hope you will all be encouraged to have a listen. Recommended that you do so in a relaxed mellow chilled state of mind. My rating is 4.5 stars, but for building off of his previous album, and making a more polished successor that is still magnificently retro, I am going to round up! Hopefully the next effort will come to us just a bit quicker than seven years please!

Heuchert seems most concerned with capturing the deceptive simplicity of an earlier time, that being the late 1960s and early 1970s when acoustic music with psych undertones struck a purple patch, rather than amassing credits for virtuosity. While not being monotonous, the tunes achieve a uniformity of mood only occasionally broken by a percussive flourish which serves to affirm their sparse usage elsewhere, used to particularly pointed effect on "Not Just Another Day". Other highlights are the introspective opener "Blue Rain", the oddly similar and haunting "Every Morning Comes" and "Lost in your Dream", or the CAT STEVENS like "Someday". The original album closer seems to trawl the early 1960s a la BEATLES and, while possessing a certain naive charm, is a bit of a throwaway whose position on the playlist is arguably poor or optimal depending on your own position on the matter. Perhaps Cary agreed with my perspective because a more recent re-release concludes with a 2 part bonus track that is by far the best and most progressive number on offer, generating hope that "Blue Rain" will precipitate future works of import.

It's kind of obvious this isn't the work of an actual flesh and blood band because the arrangements don't justify the resulting salary expense, even for a prog folk project. To Heuchert's credit, tunes like "Drifting" and "Evening Song" are instantly enjoyable whereas "Far East Mountain Suite" is more involved but no less rewarding. Ultimately, this may be too nuanced for prog rock fans who take the noun as seriously as the adjective, and at times Heuchert sounds like he is exercising his home studio's acoustics more than pursuing new directions in prog, but this remains a worthy debut for night owls from a fellow who doesn't play by the numbers.

Every once in a while an album comes along that proves to be a pleasant way to ease in to your morning or a revitalizing way to decompress at the end of your busy day. If your looking for screaming guitars and soaring synths keep walking, this isn't for you. But if you would like a mellow flash of the past this just might be what you are looking for. There is a comfort in finding something that is - although new to you ' seemingly very familiar from the first spin.

What strikes you is that although this is a relatively new recording it sounds and feels like it was produced in the 60's. My immediate first perception of this was, this is what early Pink Floyd might have sounded like had they gone all singer / song writer mode on us, and then done a full album of folk tunes. But there is much more here than this alone.

Observing that this album sounds 'old' and relatively simple, in this case, is a compliment of the highest order. Given the polish of modern production and how thick, dense, and deep prog can be in many cases, the airiness, simplicity and relative innocence of these songs is quite refreshing.

And, as one of my professors once said, it is a talent and skill to make something complex seem easy. And be not fooled, while this may be in the 'alternative folk' genre, this is progressive music. Although simple on the surface, there is much going on with changes in the music. There is interesting transitions of instruments, acoustic to electric and back, vocal and musical sound effects. There are guitars and synths, yes, creatively used, but always properly restrained for our relaxation. Additionally, it seems to me that the music has some of the flavor of the kinds of different ideas that the beatles used, that on the surface seemed just wrong, and yet were so right. It is obvious that the artist here has a vision of what he wants to achieve, and it works in a big way.

I think it is worth mentioning that the singing and song writing is of high quality. Cary's voice is quite pleasant and easy to listen to. Couldn't tell you if he has a grand vocal range, but it works nicely in the realm of these songs. The lyrics, while not dwelling on the deep mind bending places that prog can often go, is thankfully not cheesy either. There is an obvious respect for the listener's intelligence, and the themes reach into our common life experiences and feelings. Works for me!

This may not be a perfect diamond but it is definitely a hidden gem. If you want to go back to a more innocent age and enjoy some folk style prog music for your down time this may be it. It is simple enough that it can be a background tapestry for your morning or evening, but at the same time it is plenty complex enough to keep you fully engaged if you choose to pay attention. As regards to this being a hidden gem, a tip of the hat to Kev for his first review of this artist. I am sure I would never have discovered this otherwise. That would have been a shame.

BTW: supposedly a third album is in the works and 'close' to being ready. I couldn't find anything to substantiate this, but hope it's true. Will be anxious to hear his follow up work!

So, let's give this 4 creatively restrained relaxing stars for defrosting a 'frozen dream of another time...'

Here is someone who has obviously been heavily influenced by the more melodic side of Roy Harper, and consequently he also makes me think of Martin Springett, and as they are both Canadian, I wonder if they have bumped into each other. That also then led me into thoughts of Rick Miller, but this is far more lo-fi than that. While Heuchert is a very good guitarist he is a basic drummer at best, but at least he has used real drums instead of the bloody machines, but he would have been better off bringing in someone for session work. The vocals are somewhat quavery but combine with the music to produce something which has a wonderful, special sort of naivety. There are times when he seems to struggle a little on the keyboards, but I found that didn't matter too much as this feels quite magical. It is an album way out of time, something that shouldn't exist as we come to the second decade of the 21st century, but I am very glad indeed that it does.

There is a freshness and lightness within the music, loads of space, a feeling of sheer honesty and in these days of over-produced music which is way to clinical, there is something here which is quite special. Progressive, folky, singer- songwriter, with elements of both Floyd and The Beatles, this is an album which makes me smile each time I play it.