BRYAN JOSH

My lovely wife purchased this from the Mostly Autumn Records website for my birthday, and a fantastic addition to my collection it is too.

Josh has, to my mind, recreated the feel and sound of the earlier MA records which made me a fan in the first place.

The album appears to be a personal recounting of a Josh trip, where he encounters such characters as Jimi Hendrix, Keith Moon, and Freddie Mercury!

The feel of the album is more in keeping with such releases as The Last Bright Light, in other words a lovingly created fusion of prog, celtic, and folk influences. Joshs' guitar playing is as vital and powerful as it is on all MA releases, but the huge bonus for me in this album is his singing. The vocals are very much to the fore, soulful, tuneful, and he tells his story well.

I will not go through each individual track, but the standouts for me are The Appian Way and the title track, Through These Eyes. If there were any justice in this world, the former would be a number one single on both sides of the Atlantic - a rocker that also manages to sound commercially vital. The following track, We Graze, is the perfect come down.

Slow Down is a marvellous blues feel track. Old style prog fans will love the keyboards on Going Home. By the time the LP reaches Carry Me, you will be lost in the soundscapes created with the help of a decent set of speakers.

Josh is given able support from Olivia Sparnenn, who takes on the Heather Findlay role with considerable aplomb.

A superb LP which all modern progressive music lovers will welcome into their collections.