DISTANT SATELLITES

1. "The Lost Song, Part 1" (5:53) strings (real or synthetic, I cannot be sure) open this one for a bit before drums and bass enter and then Vince. Nice strong voice. He sings slowly enough, mixed center and far out in the front so I can actually follow the vocals while catching their meaning. And then they're wonderfully backed by Lee's b vox. Nice! The bass steps up a bit in the third verse which leaves me wanting even more from it. It's just so awesome when Vince and Lee are doubling up: great harmonies; Lee's voice gives Vince's such a boost! The "strings" (real or not) in the middle of the fifth minute are sublime! Then things go quiet, reverting to just ambient "strings" for the sixth minute to the song's finish. (9.3333/10)

2. "The Lost Song, Part 2" (5:47) the slowed- and stripped-down piano version of the previous song. Lee's wordless vocalese are the first to appear--around the 30-second mark. They continue as some other instruments try to join in (even a second, male, wordless voice). The strings manage a bridge to the slow rock part in which Lee is given the lead vocal: her voice delicate and even vulnerable with a Christina Booth-like warble as she sings, conveying great emotion. The music builds: electric guitar chords, strings swelling, Vince joining in background vocals. At th eend of the fourth minute the strings and electric guitar team up to almost drown out Lee's plaintive, pleading voice. Man! is she powerful! (I'm in tears!) The finish is so much like an Elizabeth Heaton performance! (9.5//10)

3. "Dusk (Dark Is Descending)" (5:59) arpeggiated guitars weave a couple of chords together before Vince's voice and drums 'n' bass join in. I sure wish I heard lyrics cuz I feel that more than half of the power of Vince's songs are contained/expressed through the words/lyrics. Lee's minimally-felt background vocals are almost Country&Western in styling. Not a fan of this one, not at all. (8.6667/10)

4. "Ariel" (6:28) ambient solo piano notes of two or three chords lay down a pretty base over which Lee Douglas sings, all by herself, up front and center (where she should be). She shines. Her voice is so awesome. In the same club with Scottish wonder Elizabeth Heaton (MIDAS FALL). I only wish they'd use her more. But then, I get it: these are Vince and Danny's songs, not Lee's, right? The album credits note a "Dave Stewart" as the arranger of the strings--which begs two questions: Is this the Dave Stewart (of Canterbury fame) and how is one to distinguish between the synthetic strings, of which we know the Cavanaugh brothers are quite fond of using (quite liberally, I might add) and which ones are orchestral/chamber strings--the real thing? A very beautiful and powerful song. (9.125/10)

5. "The Lost Song, Part 3" (5:21) another slight variation on the album's first two songs (closer to the first version: with strong bass keyboard and bass synth presence). Vince's lead vocal is heavily reverberated. It's shuffly like Radiohead's "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi." Lee gets to sing the second verse. The vocal melody sounds very similar to previous songs from We're Here Because We're Here and Weather Systems--really close. (8.875/10)

6. "Anathema" (6:40) opens with repeating harp-like piano arpeggi and then builds into an awesome heavy slow build progrocker that just gets stronger and stronger as it goes. Great solo vocal from Vince. (9.5/10)

7. "You're Not Alone" (3:26) Yech. Guitar-centric chord rock! (8.6667/10)

8. "Firelight" (2:42) an ambient organ interlude (4.25/5)

9. "Distant Satellites" (8:17) piano, organ, and synth keyboard bass and drums while Vince sings solo. Lee's background voice gets a little into the mix in the fourth minute as drums also enter and expand. But then, at the end of the fifth minute everything cuts out except for a bass drum, muted Disco bass, and synth washes. (In retrospect, I don't think that's Lee's voice at all, just another track of Vince's.) (17.25/20)

10. "Take Shelter" (6:07) opens with an odd (Kid A) electric piano two chord progression with strings and Vince's "distant" voice. Programmed drum sounds and whole mess of other synthy sounds gradually join in, thickening the instrumental field while Vince's floating vocalizations continue (and would do so with or without any other tracks). The music continues to grow and build (with, I think, the help of lots of Mellotron), working its way into something loud like a 1960s Moody Blues tune (aside from the awful electronic drums). (8.666667/10)

Total time 56:40

Still not enough Lee Douglas for my ears and brain. When the finally get it right (the % of front time given to Lee as lead vocalist) with 2017's The Optimist they sadly decide to call it quits.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of atmospheric Post Rock, flawed for its inconsistency and over-dependence of Vince's lyrics. Still, one of Anathema's testaments to their high standard of enjoyable music.

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