TIM BOWNESS

This really is an expansive, career-defining work that is just formally informed by its predecessor 'Butterfly Mind', but it develops much more organically as the listener is bombarded with so many ideas and moods that 'Powder Dry' would require repeated listens in order to be fully understood. And with mixing works and creative advice from Steven Wilson, Bowness had created a post-No-Man piece of art that takes in all the different aspects of the author's musical identity and reproposes them in the form of almost impressionistic canvas of sounds - this is, of course, reflected by the vibrant artwork. Most pieces on here are around the two-minute mark, with just one song clocking in at five minutes. Among the more intriguing offerings you might discover the sturdy opener 'Rock Hudson', the joyous and emotive 'Summer Turned', the haunting 'Films of Our Youth', the cathartic title track, or even the acoustic 'This Way Now'. Fantastic stuff from start to finish; you can take bits and pieces of it out or you can listen to the whole thing all at once, it always works rather beautifully.

The material on here unfolds in the form of eight tracks that all tell the story of the album's protagonist, much reminiscent of a secret diary with the revelations of the artist. This theme is accompanied by the lush and melodic art rock, at times quite cosmic and psychedelic, at times vibrant and hard-hitting - the whole record presents the various tastes of Bowness and serves as the ultimate presentation of his admiration of a long-gone musical era. From the dreamy opener 'Worlds of Yesterday' to the ethereal suite 'Moonshot Manchild', or the gorgeous track 'You'll Be the Silence', Tim Bowness experiments with folky and symphonic passages, all engulfed in a cosmic atmosphere that gives the entire album a somewhat otherworldly feel. The music is great, the songs are tremendous without exception, and the vocals are as good as ever - highly recommended for anyone looking for a modern rendition of classic art rock.

So 2017 saw me pickup more music than in any other year. It was a great year, very deep and I'm still getting to cds in 2024 that I picked up back then like "Lost In The Ghost Light". I was surprised at how many studio albums Tim has released as this is the only one I own. Of course I first became aware of him through NO-MAN but later HENRY FOOL. Plus he has guested on a lot of albums I own. I wish I was more into into voice than I am. It's one of the reasons I haven't got to this until now. Sensitive is a good adjective I suppose where it always feels he is the focus.

I laughed at a fan telling of listening to NO-MAN in his car and his daughter saying the singer is so dramatic. Well maybe in a passive-aggressive way(haha). I always used to wish Steven Wilson was the singer for NO-MAN and I was happy that HENRY FOOL's second album was all instrumental. Yet, whenever I would put on a NO-MAN cd I adjusted quickly to Tim's vocals and got lost in the atmosphere, not the ghost light. Speaking of which. This is a concept album about an old rocker who is no longer popular who is dwelling in the past(ghost light) of a long dead career. Sad, and the cover art done by Jarrod Gosling connects that.

Jarrod from HENRY FOOL and REGAL WORM. Stephan Bennett from HENRY FOOL is the keyboardist, drums are shared by the HENRY FOOL guy and the PAATOS swinger. Bruce Soord is the main guitarist and Colin Edwin the "go-to" bass player, while we get Kit Watkins and Ian Anderson both adding some flute as guests. Eight tracks worth over 43 minutes. My first opinion was that Tim's voice seemed higher pitched than normal. This recording was a process with it being done between 2009 and 2016 in Sweden, USA and England.

Top three would include the opener that many don't seem to mention but it's that atmosphere in the NO-MAN tradition that appeals to me here and I like the guitar. "Moonshot Manchild" is another top three and the second number, while track seven "You Wanted To be Seen" rounds out the trio of songs I like the best. I'm not sure about the energetic "Kill The Pain That's Killing You" or the short title track. Or even "Nowhere Good To Go" which is almost 5 minutes of painfully slow music much like the closer.

I've noticed a couple of Tim's solo albums that seem to get higher marks than most that might be worth at least checking out because I did enjoy this one, especially the NO-MAN references with the atmosphere.

Electronic leanings and synth-led soundscapes should not surprise anyone, given the main man's No-Man years. But the highlight for me in Bowness' solo releases is how concise he always manages to present them, on the one hand, and on the other, how emotionally and musically rich they always come out to be. 'Butterfly Mind' is no exception to this rule, and in fact, it comes off as one of the better releases of his catalogue, in my humble opinion. The more upbeat moments on the album do, however, sound more convincing than the mellower or more atmospheric numbers, like 'It's Easier to Love' or 'Lost Player'. This would certainly mean that tracks like 'Always the Stranger', a proggy electronic 3-minute long striker, the captivating 'Only A Fool', the elegant and memorable 'Glitter Fades', the main piece of the album, the 8-minute long 'Dark Nevada Dream', or the more traditional rock approach found on 'We Feel', could be indicated as the highlights, although it is fair to say that there aren't any weak spots on here.

With all of these in mind, one could conclude that Bowness' elevating new piece of studio material is an exquisitely fresh offering from the crossover side of the alternative or progressive rock umbrella, whichever you prefer. Elegance and intricacy do not overshadow the emotive presentation, the lovely melodies, or the memorable and though-provoking lyrics. An overall step-up in this discography.

The songs are all very modern, in that they hearken back often to the Eighties as opposed to the Seventies, and often feel as if Richard Barbieri has been involved again as there are plenty of Japan-style moments or early Porcupine Tree. The result is an effective and interesting release which even my wife thinks is a pleasant listen (not what she normally says about my musical tastes). Bowness continues to produce music which is really enjoyable and very different to most withi the prog scene, and long may he continue to do so.

A cast of impressive musicians will be noticed in the album's liner notes: Peter Hammill, Colin Edwin, Jim Matheos, Kevin Godley, David Longdon, among others contribute bits and pieces of music to 'Flowers at the Scene', Bowness' fifth solo offering. However, as eclectic as this album is, one cannot help but also feel a tiny exhaustion around the second half of the album - this is where, in my humble opinion, the pace gets too slow, the continuum of mellow, introverted tracks telling these very personal tales embraces the listener and puts him in some sort of pre-hibernation state and you can hardly remember much of what you've heard, as it leaves an impression that it is a bit washed and monotonous after all.

Opening track 'I Go Deeper' sets a very melancholic tone, this is confirmed by the next song, the dreamy, peaceful 'The Train That Pulled Away', a more intricate and very well-written piece. 'Rainmark' is another 'downer', if I may say so, despite the seemingly more upbeat tone - the unprepared listener might give in to sorrow and melancholia; On a side note, this lovely little song features some fine guitars from Fates Warning's Jim Matheos. All the songs are very vivid in the scenes Bowness is singing about - one of these more cinematic tracks is 'Not Married Anymore', about which I would say reminisces the sinking desperation of 'My Hotel Year', Bowness' first solo release. The title track sees Jim Matheos as a collaborator once again, a pretty beautiful, elegant song. 'It's the World' is the heavy rocker on the album, a dark and agonizing reflection on what could perhaps be a recollection of the author's let-downs throughout his life. This one features Jim Matheos once again as well as Peter Hammill and Steven Wilson. The rest of the album is also very sincerely mellow, the songs slowly unfold just to reveal some pretty moments but unfortunately do not contribute too much to the overall eclecticism of the LP, and as mentioned before, might sound a bit too melancholic.

Still, 'Flowers at the Scene' is a very interesting release, indeed quite eclectic, probably a meeting point between art rock, singer-songwriter and dream pop - an avenue of self-reflection, sorrow and grief, yet it has its moments of hope, joy, and pleasant melancholia. Elegant work that is meant to be listened to, you can hardly find reasons to dance to this album though.

This is less dynamic than the last album I heard of is, more focus on softer numbers and beauty, yet is no less powerful for that. The vibraphone provides a strike and delay that is very different to keyboards, and when combined with fretless bass it has a wonderful effect, and then of course at the front we have Tim's vocals. He truly is one of our finest singers, with a hidden strength, and his knowledge of how to layer the arrangements and yet somehow keeping them simple and allowing his voice to always be at the forefront of what is happening is very special indeed. I can understand why some people may feel this album is a little "samey", but each one of these numbers is a delight, and the result is something I can play all day. Fans of no-man or Bowness should all be grabbing this as yet again he shows why he is so renowned as writer and performer.

Contrast that to "Sing To Me", where repeated piano chords and violins are all that are required on the introduction to accompany Tim as he tells his tale. He works through many different styles during the course of this album, always with his vocals to the fore, and the result is an album which is his most dynamic and compelling to date. There are more levels to this release, more layers, yet always with those vocals at the front. Tim has a way of understanding less is more, and one of the most poignant and powerful songs on the album is "Know That You Were Loved", which has Tim singing against acoustic guitar and slide. There is no room to hide, but the simplicity grabs the listener and brings them in close. "Everything You're Not" is another special song, and not just for the presence of Hammill, but the way it commands attention even though it is delicate and gentle. Very much a songs-based album, Bowness again shows he is one of our finest singers and understands there is no need to be forceful and over the top when grace and majesty does the job just as well.

Anyone who has come across no-man will have an expectation for what is being delivered here, and they will not be disappointed. There is a whimsical melancholy about Tim's material, and an honesty and genuineness that other bands aspire to but rarely achieve. Tim's relationship with guitarist Michael Bearpark goes back many years, not only with no-man but other outfits, and his use of different guitar techniques to emphasise the emotions in the voice is sublime, with Stuart Laws providing bass that has the right amount of delicacy and warmth. There are times when the music feels quite twee, such as on "Smiler at 52", yet the emotions and reality of the vocals take the song in quite a different direction from the electronic backing which is behind it. This is an album which bears repeated listening as there is a great deal to be taken from it, by singer who has been at the front of the game for many years.

The songs are minimally composed without overproduction, carefully crafted, so that each one serves a purpose. The keyboards are the musical backbone on 'My Hotel Year' with some tape recordings, occasional guitars, fuzz bass, and other effects, all placed well in my opinion.

But this is really a record to listen to on a cold rainy night. Tim Bowness conducts quite well the feelings of loneliness, desperation, disappointment with love, and misunderstanding. It feels like a very personal and retrospective record, with some memorable and intriguing art rock numbers like 'I Once Loved You', 'The Me I Knew', 'Hotel Year', 'Making A Mess In A Clean Place'. 'My Hotel Year' is an interesting album but lacks the coherence that, for example, the No-Man albums have, or the Porcupine Tree ones from that same period.