LIFE IN THE WIRES

It is strange to think that it is nearly 20 years since the debut, 'Milliontown', which had a major impact when it came out, and now Jem Godfrey (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Nathan King (bass, vocals), John Mitchell (guitars, vocals) and Craig Blundell (drums) are back with the fifth, which is a double album concept based somewhat on the band's last album, 2021's 'Day and Age'. In fact, the first track on this album starts with the end of the last track on that one, which is a nice touch. The story revolves around the main character Naio, an aimless kid heading for a meaningless future in an AI run world. He hears an old DJ talking on the ancient AM radio his mother once gave him and decides to trace the source of the signal and find "Livewire" to see if there's a better future out there. However, the All Seeing Eye is less than impressed at this bid for independent thought and fights back. Soon Naio finds himself pursued across the country by an outraged mob as he tries to locate the home of Livewire and his freedom. This story of an individual trying to find his way against a controlling world is nothing new, either in literature or music, case in point "If the thought processes of an individual can be permanently limited, To the point of strict conformity to an outside source of thought, The said individual need no longer be considered as such" ("We Are Sane", Twelfth Night).

But what makes this feel somewhat different for me is I remember having a crystal set radio as a boy in the Sixties and wondering what else was out there in the world as I scrolled through the static to hear foreign languages and music which sounded totally alien. Add to that Godfrey's skill as a composer, Mitchell's ongoing ability to make every project he is involved with indispensable, and a rhythm section to die for along with Godfrey deciding to undertake all the lead vocals himself this time means we get a very enjoyable neo/crossover prog album. The only downside for me is that it feels somewhat over produced and there is little in the way of vitality and excitement, which consequently means it comes across as single-layered as opposed to multi-faceted and while I enjoyed it, it does feel somewhat one-dimensional as opposed to having any great depth. It is just too clean, too perfect, but I am sure there will be many progheads who will disagree with me and feel this is superb. It is certainly worth hearing for anyone into modern mainstream progressive rock.