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Leon Alvarado

The Changing Tide

Review by Gary Hill
You can count on Leon Alvarado to create quality music. I think he and his cast of musicians have outdone themselves this time. This album might be his best. It's almost certain to make my best of 2024 list. The set, by admission, has a lot of Pink Floyd reference. Yet, it's also original. Two members of Pink Floyd tribute band Brit Floyd are included here. Bassist Tony Franklin and saxophonist John Helliwell are two notable musicians on the album. This set is nearly all instrumental. If you like vintage Pink Floyd, you are sure to like this. It is such a great set, and an excellent homage to that band's output.

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
The Equilibrium of Time
Electronic sounds that are slow and rather doomy get things going here. There are some sound bites over the top as it grows gradually. It gradually get into less doomy sounding prog jamming. It also intensifies. It continues to evolve, with one section that makes me think of Pink Floyd's Meddle album before it gives way to a mellower arrangement that eventually ends the track.
A Day of a Different Sort
The opening of this again makes me think of Pink Floyd. This time it's the Wish You Were Here album, though. The guitar work on this as the track builds brings much more of that Meddle kind of sound. The music drops away mid-track and sound-effects take over. Then a more Dark Side of the Moon kind of groove comes in. The Pink Floyd vibes continue as this really does feel more like Meddle again. The guitar is a dead ringer for David Gilmour to me. Given that he's one of my favorite guitarists, that says a lot.
A View from a Different Room
The saxophone on this brings a lot of magic. The guitar is again very Gilmour-like, and this is very Floydian. This is another great piece of music on an awesome album.
Dance of the Pink Elephant
This is much less Pink Floyd like. It's still a real powerhouse piece of music. It has a lot of fusion in the mix, and I love the rubbery bass sound on it.
The Changing Tide
Suitably the sounds of water are heard as this gets underway. Piano is heard beyond that. The track moves forward from there and does tend to take on some Pink Floyd like tendencies as it continues.
Brain Damage
Pink Floyd has been a valid reference through much of this album, so it seems appropriate that it ends with an actual Floyd cover. This is the only track on the disc to include vocals. This is an intriguing version that feels both faithful and fresh.
  
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