SONGS FROM THE HARD SHOULDER

Over the decades that I have been listening to prog rock I have come across many albums that are so good that I regularly return to them and play them from beginning to end. The Tangent are unique in that almost their entire body of work is of such quality that I never tire of listening to their albums in their entirety. The music has such complexity and variety in structure that I return repeatedly for the experience. And Songs From The Hard Shoulder has delivered in exactly the same way. It is already, by a long way, my most listened to album of 2022 and I think it unlikely that there will be a better release this year.

Assuming that Songs From The Hard Shoulder will be my album of the year, then this will be their fourth in a row. Two others came a close second, Comm in 2011, and Le Sacre Du Travail in 2013, both pipped by exceptional Steven Wilson albums in those years. Remarkable consistency.

The mystery for me is that too few others feel the same way. I have read others complaining about mundane and politically charged lyrics. Others make observations about Andy Tillison's vocals. For me, the music speaks for itself. What is the point in finding something trivial to criticise and thereby missing the experience of appreciating the quality of the music and the musicianship?

The melodies and the lyrics mean everything to Andy and no one can deliver the words as emotionally and powerfully as Andy. The way that he delivers the words may initially appear unusual but it is all part of the uniqueness of The Tangent. Andy's music is inspired by what is going on around him. As an example, you have only got to listen to The First Day Of School on the Special Edition release of A Place In The Queue to appreciate the exquisite music that was inspired by the tragic events of the Beslan School Siege.

Songs From The Hard Shoulder is the twelfth studio release by the band. Four of the five tracks (which included the bonus track) are over 15 minutes with the fifth track a short but fun foot tapper. The bonus track is a cover of U. K.'s In The Dead Of Night, brilliantly performed and developed over sixteen minutes rather than the original five or six minutes.

The musicianship on the album is exceptional. I particularly enjoyed Luke Machin's excellent guitar solos. I am certain that I shall keep returning to listen to this album from beginning to end in the same way that I do for all The Tangent's studio albums. For that reason, I have to give the album a five-star rating.