ISLAND OF THE IMBECILES

When Steve released his debut album on GEP back in 2005 I was immediately struck not only by the music but also by the artwork. So much so that I visited the website of artist Danny Flynn and purchased two framed prints, including that of 'Emotional Creatures Part One' (which is inspired by "Squonk"), and they are still on my walls today. All my other music prints or framed albums are in my study, but these are in other places in the house, so Steve has definitely had an impact on me. Tony Levin and Nick D'Virgilio were on that debut album, and they are still here on this his latest, joined by solo artist Robin Armstrong and well-known British musician James McLaren. Steve plays all other instruments, indeed some tracks are genuine solo efforts!

This is true crossover prog, highly influenced by the likes of Jadis and the more pastoral side of IQ (Paul Cook, Martin Orford and Gary Chandler all played on the debut as well). Steve has a wonderfully clear vocal style, is a strong songwriter, and I find myself at a loss to explain why he isn't more well-known as an artist. As I write this there isn't a single review written for this 2016 album on ProgArchives, yet his music is always of the highest quality and he is able to get some of the very finest musicians to work with him, so he is highly regarded in the scene even if the wider progsphere has to uncover his work. This is his fifth studio album in eleven years, so he's been working hard.

Lyrically, this is hard hitting and passionate, a mixture of political comment, opinion and a lamentation of the current state of modern life, and its effect on people both spiritually and physically. They are honest, sincere and he also provides brutal social comment, and when combined with the music and the complex yet simple nature of the songs one has to wonder why this hasn't been more widely received. Definitely worth investigation.