BRIEF NOCTURNES AND DREAMLESS SLEEP

Ted Leonard breathes new life into the musical powerhouse that is Spock's Beard on the band's eleventh studio album titled 'Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep', released in 2013 on Inside Out Music. One could say with certainty that this is the band's strongest release since 2002's 'Snow', as it brings together everything that makes the Beard special and recognizable in the first place, as we also see a feature from Neal Morse on one track. With a solid lineup of Alan Morse who exhibits majestically his guitar acrobatics throughout the whole album, Ryo Okumoto who serves as the engine of many of the compositions on here, the stunning bass player Dave Meros, and the band's speedy drummer Jimmy Keegan, it is Ted Leonard's tremendous contribution to the album that really elevates this release to a classic status, full of memorable moments and unbelievable playing, this album is all killer and even comes with a bonus disc of nearly half an hour of additional material.

In line with the band's classic sound and their manner of interpreting in a very playful and contemporary way (often with tons of humor, which I do love) the sonic palettes of classic 70s prog, 'Brief Nocturnes' combines lush and masterful instrumentation with lovely melodies and memorable hooks, as the album represents a virtually immaculate amalgamation of all the best traits of Spock's Beard's music. Not a single bit short of technically pristine, this release bolsters both some very intricate and impressive instrumental stunts as well as several more pastoral and eclectic passages. The songwriting is ridiculously good, as the Beard once again display their strong pop sensibilities as they successfully integrate them into the intricate compositions, and all of a sudden, chorus after chorus, the listener finds himself singing along to this great album. It would feel like a betrayal to the entirety of this release to point out any highlights, since virtually every track is a highlight of its own. However, some of the truly magical Beard moments are to be heard on 'Hiding Out', 'Submerged' and 'Something Very Strange'. Incredibly rich and sonically enticing album, this is an SB classic by all standards.