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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Living in Shadows

Living In Shadows

Review by Gary Hill

I recently reviewed the latest album from this act. I talked about how much I loved their artistry at combining jazz and progressive rock into something very compelling. Well, that same mix of sounds is present on this earlier release, but it leans a little more heavily on the jazz side of the equation. The thing is, it works just about as well here, too. I think I prefer the new release, but this album is exceptional, too.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2024  Volume 4. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2024.

Track by Track Review
For The Day
Piano starts things off here. The track gradually builds out with some cool jazz stylings from there. The vocals add to that vibe. This gets more powered up as it continues, and there is some killer horn work in the mix.
Running Feet

I like the energy and groove on this number. It has some killer jazz at its heart. It's not particularly challenging, but it tasty.

Try To Take It Twice

Now the prog things are in place on this number. It still has some jazz in the mix, but this is more rock based. I love the unusual and complex vocal arrangement so much. This is one of my favorite tracks here. It reminds me a little of Esquire at times.

Sending Electricity

Bass, drums and vocals are the only things at play as this cut gets underway. Piano joins after a time. The track gradually builds out from there. This is another that has healthy helpings of both prog and jazz in the mix. There are some intriguing changes built into this. It's packed full of magic and style. Some hints of psychedelia emerge in the guitar soloing later.

Believe

While this gets into more pure jazz zones, there are still rock angles at play. I really dig the bass on this a lot. Then again, everything about it works quite well. It gets into more pure rock based zones. The vocal arrangement on this is amazing with its multiple layers.

The Tunnel

There is such a cool jazz meets pop and rock groove to this track. It's another piece of classy music. The vocal arrangement is one of the biggest selling points of the song.

Postcards
This is one of the strongest tracks on the album. It has more prog than some of the others do. There is still plenty of jazz here, though. Again, I can hear hints of Esquire at times. The track has some intriguing twists and turns. It gets into some zones that make me think of the jazzy side of early King Crimson at points.
Smoke & Mirrors
At more than nine-and-a-half minutes long, this is the epic of the disc. Bass starts it. Then piano joins as it continues to build forward. This is another that has a lot of pure progressive rock. It has some of the most dramatic instrumental moments of the whole album. There is still plenty of jazz built into it at times. There is a killer groove later in the track built around a driving rhythm section serving as the backdrop for some powerhouse piano soloing. The cut works out to more powered up prog from there. That section has some hints of Esquire. It drops back to mellower stuff once the vocals drop away on that part. Then eventually piano takes over before guitar come over the top of that. It continues to evolve with more of a melodic fusion vibe at its heart. The jazz stylings eventually shift out to more pure progressive rock for a time. Then it peaks and drops back to a mellower jazzy arrangement again. This is epic not just in size, but also in scope because it's the most dynamic thing here. It's also one of my favorite tracks and makes for a great closer. 
 
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