SIMON MCKECHNIE

This is the fifth album from McKechnie, but the first I have personally come across. He is a multi-instrumentalist, and apart from guitar solos from Mike Flynn on the opening epic 'The Origin Of Species' and drums by Adam Riley on both that and the title track, he sings and performs everything himself. This is his first album from BEM, and I am somewhat surprised to discover no reviews for this on ProgArchives as the album has been out since March of last year (I am still playing catch up, badly). Musically this is crossover prog, but with plenty of looks back to the Seventies, while also bringing in jazz, classical and other forms. Anyone who is prepared to start an album with a track which is more than 20 minutes in length is obviously someone who stands by their own convictions, although in fairness this is heavily sectioned so in some ways it does feel more like a collection of connected songs as opposed to just one song with repeated motifs and themes.

There are times during this when it sounds like Simon is using auto tune, which is somewhat unusual in prog, but although I noticed it, I did not find it distracting. What I really liked is the mix of old and new sounds, moving at times in an incredibly languid style and at others quite staccato and abrupt. There are also far more vocals than one normally expects from a multi-instrumentalist, and these are well thought out songs as opposed to exercises in self-indulgence. Simon obviously has a real interest in history, as he commences with a song that actually uses some of Darwin's text, has another where we can hear the sound of Babbage's Difference Engine Number Two, and the last number is about the Beagle (Darwin's ship, not the dog). What makes this album fascinating is that while it is interesting to the proghead, it somehow manages to stay in the mainstream while not really sounding like anyone else around. Possibly there is some Alan Parsons there, and it did make me think at times of Gandalf's Fist, but mostly this is Simon McKechnie, and it is a fresh and interesting trip into the genre. There is a freshness here which is often sadly lacking in others.

A solo project of top notch progressive rock music from Simon McKechnie. Along with playing all of the instruments except woodwinds and drums (played by Adam Riley and recorded masterfully), Simon's powerful and clear voice shows signs of either some classical training or Broadway musical experience--which is a plus. This is a voice that is refreshing to hear yet is sadly only truly accentuated in the first two songs. Simon also has quite an obvious attraction to historical themes for his lyrical compositions.

1. "Hymn of Apollo" is a beautiful, dramatic song constructed around the poem of the same name by Percy Bysshe Shelley. There is a certain familiarity to Simon's wonderful singing voice--very much akin to that of NOEL McCALLA. The music of the song itself even has the feel of the MIKE RUTHERFORD album Smallcreep's Day on which Noel sang lead vocals. My second favorite song on the album. (9/10)

2. "Jane Wenham's Trial" sounds quite like GENTLE GIANT and the CARDIACS. Some nice chinky bass and awesomely fresh guitar sounds (African/Caribbean sounding) woven together with the flutes, drums and vocals. Some nice ANDY PARTRIDGE energy and quirkiness to this one. My favorite song on the album. (9/10)

3. "Year of Light" sounds like an instrumentalized Part 2 to the previous song. Nice layers of multiple guitars--some sounding like DAVE GREGORY (XTC, Big Big Train) (8/10)

4. "From My Head to My Feet" is an obnoxiously poppy in the vein of YES' 1980s output. A disappointing turn in the album. (6/10)

5. "Melita" sounds very much like it could have come from the 2014 KNIFEWORLD album, The Unravelling, former Cardiacs' guitarist Korvus Torabi. (7/10)

6. "Once Upon a Time" is jazzy, multi-culturally influenced instrumental with African-influence guitar-play being the prime feature. (8/10)

7. "The Harpists' Song" has quite a Noel MCCALLA/MIKE RUTHERFORD feel to it--as if it could have come straight from the 1980 Smallcreep's Day album. Interesting but ultimately quite forgettable. (7/10)

An extremely talented musician, singer and composer, this album is only deserving of three stars for the sake of inconsistent composition and engineering, and inconsistent display of this artist's talents (his dramatic voice). I love the affinity for old historically based stories, the more theatric vocals, the drumming, and the multifarious choices for guitar sounds--oft-times layered on right over the other. But the songwriting, recording and entertainment value are widely disparate over the course of the album. Still, Simon's talent is such that I will most certainly be backtracking to try to hear his previous albums.

Rarely does an artist appear in the progressive world so suddenly out of nowhere and create such a stir within the progressive world. 'Clocks and Dark Clouds', in 2013, is one of those cases.

But first, who is this SIMON MCKECHNIE? This London-based Scotsman has lead and played bass in the Latin Jazz group AZUL. He has also showed his classical guitar skills playing with Portuguese Fado singer ' performer NUNO SILVA. Then in 2011, he released his first album, 'London Reborn', a modern interpretation of old London folk songs. The latter shows a skilled musician, a versatile composer with a voice starting from lower ranges and reaching a high falsetto. However, none of these previous releases and collaborations could have prepared us for this Monster of an album!

'Clocks and Dark Clouds' includes 7 songs, all 7 minutes and longer. Although that is usually a problem for the flow of an album, it is not the case here. Each part blends effortlessly into the next one, never staying too long, while the main theme of each song reappears slightly differently ' that is what makes our favourite prog epics so great. You won't find any verse ' pre-chorus ' chorus structure here.

I would describe the music as eclectic prog. Themes and melodies come and go, always accompanied with a dissonant counter-melody or a different rhythmical part. There are also these little surprises, where a tone or melody is presented, only to turn into part of another tone, like the beginning of the song 'Mother and Daughter'. The presence of different rhythmic metres and the frequent rhythmic changes are so prevalent that it makes you wonder if Simon has become allergic to 3/4 and 4/4! It is as if the composer has purposely decided to take all defining aspects of progressive rock and overdo it. The result is a musical product that will definitely not appeal to the masses, but will come as a delight to prog fans of all genres.

All instruments apart from drums have been recorded by Simon McKechnie, lying down on the floor of the studio due to a spine problem. Contrary to what one could expect from the density of the music, there is no heavy guitar here. Simon has been a fan of prog for enough years to know how long or how overbearing a guitar part or solo should be, and the result is amazing! The production and mastering at 'Close to the Edge' studio in London helps the end result to breathe out and all the little details to show. The drums were recorded by professional jazz drummer Adam Riley. Not only has he managed to come through the difficulties of the rhythmic complexity, but he has also left his own mark here.

As for the vocals, it seems that most of the hard work and experimentation has taken place here. As mentioned before, Simon is a skilled singer; able to express any feeling required. At times it seems that the music has been written to accompany the lyrics, and not the opposite. It is a feeling I have experienced with Jogi Kaiser's vocals on SIEGES EVEN's 'A Sense of Change' album ' in both cases there is a liquid versatility in the lyrics, as if they have tried ' and managed ' to break free from the strict rhythmic confinement. The similarities don't stop here. In both albums, the key word is 'abstract', not to mention that you don't know what to expect at the next moment.

There are various lyric themes throughout the album, but there is a tendency towards dark themes, mythology and Lovecraftian end- of-the-world apocalyptic scenarios. However, the overall feeling of the songs is more dissonant rather than doomy or pessimistic.

All in all, this album is something completely fresh, deserving all the praise it has already got. On his first effort at progressive rock, SIMON MCKECHNIE delivered a masterpiece, following all the guidelines of the genre, yet unlike anything you have heard before. It is one of the albums of 2013 that is going to be remembered dearly for long. I am really looking forward to listening to his new album, 'From my Head to my Feet', to be released later this month.

This review was originally written for www.justincaseradio.com