HIDDEN DETAILS

Some pockets of Canterbury sound fans seem somewhat dismissive of this latest work to appear under the Soft Machine banner, 2018's `Hidden Details'. While it may really be just a further extension of the Soft Machine Legacy group from the last fifteen years or so, three of the four musicians here actually played on Soft Machine's `Softs' from 1976, so if you're a fan of that line- up and era of the legendary group, or you're simply a lover of sh*t-hot jazz-rock/fusion playing in general, there's tons to appreciate here.

One thing that instantly stands out about `Hidden Details' is the way it dips into numerous styles from so many periods of forty five plus-years of Soft Machine music, with the exception of the psychedelic pop early years. Opener `Hidden Details' is a dusty slow-burn smoulder of Roy Babbington's murmuring bass, John Marshall's rambunctious drumming, Theo Travis' lively blaring sax and John Etheridge's splintering runaway guitar snarl. Weeping and gnashing sax tendrils and grinding guitar distortion seductively seep out of `Ground Lift', and `Heart Off Guard' is a stark acoustic lament with sorrowful sax. The shimmering `Broken Hill' has lightly bluesy guitar ringing laced with mystery and unease, and `Flight Of The Jett' is restless ambience.

`One Glove' has a dirty bluesy chugging swagger, `Drifting White' is a sobering late-night electric guitar reflection, and the noisy `Life On Bridges' shambles with sax drowsiness, wailing guitar tantrums and thrashing drum spasms. `Fourteen Hour Dream' embraces the lighter Caravan-like Canterbury approach with its sprightly energy and sweetly trilling flute, and closer `Breathe' is a softly blowing meditation of placid cooling flute and slowly unfurling hazy effects.

Two pieces are reworkings of earlier SM pieces - `Bundles' `The Man Who Waved At Trains' is reimagined with sparkling electric piano raindrops before slinking into a tranquil flute rumination in the tradition of the most chilled Canterbury moments, and a portion of `Third's `Out Bloody Rageous' reveals dreamy Fender Rhodes piano glistenings and electronic spirals before dashing through bustling and infectious sax driven themes

`Hidden Details' never sounds like lukewarm or uninspired rehashes of past Soft Machine moments, and it's even more satisfying that this current line-up are putting out masterful and colourful new music that is equally as vital and valid as anything else in their earlier vast catalogue. Canterbury fans are spoiled to have such first rate musicians still active in both live performances and in the studio, and it's a thrill to discover that `Hidden Details' is one of the standout releases of progressive rock-related music in 2018.

Four and a half stars.

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