THE LIFE OF THE HONEY BEE AND OTHER MOMENTS OF CLARITY

The Life of the Honey Bee and Other Moments of Clarity is only the seventh studio album from Abel Ganz, veterans of the 1980's prog scene, this owing to a long hiatus which ended in 2008 with the excellent Shooting Albatross, although given that this is only the third since then, this is not exactly throwing works out at pace.

This is a shame, because this new work is really very good. The band are well and truly on the pastoral side of progressive rock, and those who enjoy thoughtful and emotional music will find a great deal to enjoy here. The overarching theme is one of memory and loss.

The title track opens proceedings clocking in at over 12 minutes long. It is a gentle affair, and sets the scene for all that is to come. Mick Macfarlane is a soothing presence on vocals, whilst there is plenty of room for solo artistry to shine, with a nice violin solo and an extended Dave Mitchell guitar piece. Altogether mesmerising, it draws you into the work as a whole before you really know that you are there, and therefore succeeds tremendously. With the "symphony of wings" lovingly described, there is a brief saxophone solo of virtuosity to close the track.

What follows is enough to melt the coldest heart. Duetting with Macfarlane on One Small Soul is the gorgeous voice of Emily Smith, and this is pure melancholy set to music. Jack Webb's piano literally cries, and the whole track has a bluesy warmth to it. Quite wonderful, and a highlight of 2020 for me.

Arran Shores, named after the Isle of Arran, home to a particularly fine distillery, is a short and emotional acoustic instrumental by David King. Close your eyes, and you are there, and, again, a piece of music which sets a mood perfectly.

Summerlong is that rare beast, an intelligent piece of music which evokes an emotional response and means whatever the listener wants to take from it. For me, the reality of my love and I spending lazy and hazy days together. The opening, dreamy, sequence morphs into a more "traditional" synth passage set against a symphonic backdrop, before we return to the lovers reminiscing. Really rather lovely and evocative.

The opening passage of the longest track at over 13 minutes long, Sepia and White, really hits you after this, because this is a rocker featuring a thunderous bass line by Stephen Donnelly. Normal service is, however, resumed with a gentle piano and the main passage intersperses this with guitar with feeling, and the colour of sepia keys, before building into a classic prog rock wall of sound. Lyrically, the I, I Remember You closing passage is wonderfully intelligent, marking the passage of time and long lost love to wonderful effect accompanied by some marvellous fret work and those bass pedals working overtime overseen by a guiding organ.

The album closes with The Light Shines Out, the most overtly Celtic influenced track, with vocal duties taken on by drummer Denis Smith, who adds some nice drum machine work here as well. The track reminds me a great deal of some of the better tracks on Gabriel's Ovo, including the vocals, and the wonderful thought of nicotine clouds takes one back to smoky, hazy, bars of yore.

This really is a wonderfully enjoyable record, and a tribute to some wonderful musicians who have stood the test of time. Very highly recommended, and an excellent addition to any collection.