FALLING THROUGH RAINBOWS

Rick Miller, in my opinion, must be one of the most under-rated and unknown artists within the progressive scene, yet this Canadian has been releasing complex and wonderful albums since his debut in 1983, although he really hit his stride with his third, 'The One', in 2003. Since then he has released albums on a fairly regular basis, and this was his seventh, released in 2009. All songs were written, arranged, produced and performed by Rick (along with guests on flute, drums, cello, violin and additional guitars), who also provided all the artwork for good measure.

In many ways this is classic Floyd, yet more angular, with guitars that can be both strident and delicately picked, and vocals that are harmonic and multi-layered. I was watching a cartoon yesterday with my granddaughter (yes, I really am that old ' that's what happens when you've been writing about prog for nearly 30 years), and the main theme was that if you were angry then you should take a breath, count to four, and by the time you got to the last number you would be more relaxed. This album is just like that, as it slows everything down like classic Leon Redbone, mixing Floyd with Cat Stevens to provide a perfect Seventies album with Gilmour and Hillage-style guitars than one can drift away on.

This certainly doesn't sound like an album that has been produced in the last ten years, as it belongs in the mid Seventies before Punk had attempted to sweep all before it, and musicianship and reflection were allowed and indeed encouraged. There are just so many songs on here where one can imagine a sea of lighters in the audience (am I the only one thinking an iPhone app just isn't the same?). It is dreamy, it is glorious, and wraps around the listener like a warm blanket. This is comfort music, which keeps the evils of the world at bay and transports the listener to a world where it is all going to be okay. Absolutely glorious from the first measured note to the very last.