Track Listing:
1. Winter Mountain
2. This Great Blue Pearl
3. Pieces Of Love
4. Please
5. Evergreen
6. Styhead Tarn
7. Shindig
8. Blakey Ridge / When The Waters Meet
9. Underneath The Ice
10. Through The Windows
11. The Spirit Of Autumn Past (part 1)
12. The Spirit Of Autumn Past (part 2)
13. The Gap Is Too Wide
Bryan Josh - Electric Guitar, Vocals, 6 string + 12 string acoustic,e-bow
Heather Findlay - Vocals, 12 string acoustic, bodhran, tamborine
Iain Jennings - Keyboards, Vocals, Hammond
Liam Davison - Electric and Slide Guitar, Vocals, 6 string + 12 string
acoustic
Bob Faulds - Violins
Stuart Carver - Bass Guitar
Angela Goldthorpe - Flutes and Whistles
Rob McNeil - Drums
At last after months of searching an interesting new UK band!!
John Silverwood of The Flower Kings and Spocks Beard fanzines put me onto this band - So a big thanks to him!
The Spirit of Autumn Past is the second release from Mostly Autumn who hail from Yorkshire, England. As you can see from the above instrumentation line up their music is a very eclectic mix.
I have read elsewhere that this band is simply described as a Celtic Pink Floyd however that is a weak very simple analysis. Bryan Josh does play in a Gilmour type way: soaring Strat straight from the heart and there is large use of Celtic instruments but this band is so much more….
With a sample and echo from the last track The Night Sky from their debut album, the album opens with the rocker Winter Mountain - At this point add The Levellers to your influence mix. . This Great Blue Pearl introduces a AOR feel to the mix strumming guitars, organ backing and duel lead vocals from Bryan Josh and Heather Findlay.
Pieces Of Love, plucked acoustic guitar, ambient keyboards and violins back Heather's mournful vocal line.
Please continuing with the tinkling ambient keyboard background Bryan's lead vocals that, on this track have that certain Gabriel feel about them. The drums enter about a third in to the number to give it a lift, maybe a bit unnecessary especially as the un-inventive rhythm section does seem to be the weakest point of this band. Anyway, another couple of influences for the mix Gabriel and, with the percussion, very early Marillion. My wife Julie commented that these opening tracks were almost like a "heavy Clannad". So another one for your influence mix.
It is with the next track Evergreen that, to me, the album and Mostly Autumn start to get interesting.
Heather Findlay's very Julianne Regan vocals come to the fore (OK add All about Eve to the mix). A 'Martha's Harbour' opening a riffy 'In The Meadow' like closing (did I also detect Black Sabbaths 'Dirty Women' in there?).
Styhead Tarn follows and for us old UK proggers at this point add Solstice to the mix. Chanting built up over a layer of percussion and textural keyboard climaxing in an acoustic Violin, flute and bodhran reel - Wonderful.
Shindig carrying on in the same Celtic acoustic vain. Blakey Ridge / When The Waters Meet the Floyd influences are very noticeable, here in a 'Grantchester Meadows' way
Through The Windows onwards is to me where we find the real Mostly Autumn sound. To mournful violin and acoustic backing Brian sings about his late Father and his thoughts that he's still around maybe just out of reach So near and so far- just moving on. A heartfelt statement that I didn't realise had affected me until later on……
The next track The Spirit Of Autumn Past Pt1 must be considered as a lament for the loss. Moving, haunting guitar, grand piano and synth strings bliss out. The Spirit Of Autumn Past (part 2) an almost upbeat track I think based on a feeling that although we and time must move on the memories will always remain "Will echo through the hallways and the walls you leave behind".
With gentle acoustic guitar then violin followed by flute the main theme to The Gap Is Too Wide is introduced.
Taken up by Heather Findlay this beautifully written and arranged track, composed by keyboardist Iain Jennings, immediately began to effect me.
I commute to London on the train each day so use the commuting time to listen to review CD's. The theme builds and builds until it reaches a point where it is taken up by a full choir that bursts through the mix - It was at this point that in a packed commuter train the tears started to run down my face.
I lost my Father, Chris, almost 30 years ago when I was 10. The lyrics of the previous songs had made me think about him and the emotion of this glorious piece of music just made me let something go.
After the choir entry the instrumental theme builds to the euphoric climax with Bryan's lead guitar that in turn is taken up on Uilleann Pipes play by Ionas Troy Donockley.
