CARDINGTON

I bought the LP on their merch stall after seeing them live at Nene Valley Rock Festival, and it's become one of the more frequent albums I spin. As someone who listens to and generally finds new music through vinyl records, the majority of my collection is from the late 60's to the mid 80's, with the odd album from the following decades. I think that's part of why I love this album so much, because it's one of the few recent albums I own that is happy to be pure, complex symphonic prog. The gap in my knowledge of the recent decades of prog (and probably a lot the older stuff) may eschew my thoughts, but Lifesigns sound unlike any other band I've listened to. I can define certain instruments in some sections as similar to this or that, but as a whole the music always feels fresh despite a very 70's composition. The instrumentation and sounds that I don't recognise from other albums, I would almost describe as SEGA-like, maybe Phantasy Star? I might just be an idiot.

Stylistically, the music is generally sectioned, and most sections are revisited with changes, perhaps a different instrument on top or to add textures, or a change in the atmosphere they produce with the same motif. Odd time signatures are common, but rarely difficult. The sections switch between each other effortlessly and yet they are distinctly different, which is often just what I'm looking for when picking out an album and my hand reaches for Cardington. There isn't a track on the album that disappoints.

'N' is a strong opener that really encapsulates their style of progressive rock with lighter, ballad sections and heaver/ rockier sections, interspersed with lots of varying organ and synth sounds throughout the track. It's complex and it's wholly enjoyable to listen to, and you get lost in every section in a different way. A real auditory journey.

'Voice in my head' starts with some FX sounds before an ethereal synth and machine drums underpin the clear vocals. The bass then kicks in, thunderous and deep with a sound that wouldn't be out of place in a TOOL song, and despite this it is being used to back this light, ethereal section and it works perfectly. The contrasting synth and guitar trade off throughout the track as the tone shifts with each.

'Different' has lots of shifting sections with driving bass, hard rock, synths, keys and multiple time sigs. The emotive tones of each section flow between downbeat to uplifting as you soar along with the feeling of 'difference' we all experience as individuals; An experience only for the self, yet articulated musically, with feelings of unease and of comfort in oneself throughout the track. There are synth sounds that float around the mix, and lots of big instrumentation.

The introductory beat of 'Impossible' is quickly replaced by a paced, melodic rock section, underneath is a haunting synth just hiding in the mix. The guitar and vocals that ride together work in tandem beautifully. The second "Didn't see the signs were incomplete..." section uses a different instrumentation style to the rest of the track, with lighter keys and a sliding bass that create a pleasant tone together. The Gilmour-esque guitar solo is joined by some nice acoustic guitar chords before the climax of the song, which ends with a very Yes-like playout.

'Chasing Rainbows" begins with foreboding synth that plays under the ever clear and present vocals, with some of my favorite lyrics on the album. The track plays out with similar sections, where the same same theme in varying style, with an interesting chorus section a feverish acoustic guitar line.

The intro to 'Touch' is nice to follow, with some early Gabriel-sounding instrumentation. The song is then kicked up with a cool rising synth that leads in with the slick bass. The warbling synth emphasises the vocal sections. When they ask if you can feel the rhythm, you'll already know the answer.

The namesake of the album, 'Cardington' has a complex opening lead by the keys that is intriguing but remains bright and magical, matching the lyrics. The music is soaring and floating, and the lyrics are about flying; It just makes sense to do. Every section portrays the exact feeling that the accompanying lyrics wish to give, and it makes a wonderful piece that can remind you of the inquisitiveness and the joys of taking a flight (outbound, who likes coming home?). There's a strong, provoking section where acoustic guitar provides a mystifying, almost worrying feeling, followed by a beautiful section with uplifting, Hackett-like guitar work.

Cardington is a fantastic album and I would highly recommend it. It is the only album I have listened to by Lifesigns, but with that said I couldn't ever see myself giving less that 4 stars, and it is not far from 5.