SILVER WAVES ~ ASTRAL DREAMS

Since its inception in 2015, the ESP musical project of Tony Lowe has released almost one album a year. In 2023, we had discovered the symphonic Reverie (in French but without accent) where contrary to his habit, the english multi instrumentalist was in the stand alone position, including vocals. Obviously, the inspiration failure is not for now. This year, in partnership with the singer-songwriter Louise Browne and her soft voice, Lowe offers us Silver Waves ~ Astral Dreams, his ninth album under this band name, always illustrated by the essential Cheryl Stringall (she also holds the keyboard - strings on two tracks while dealing with the Sunn Creative label). From "Curious Dreamer - The Dreaming Field", Tony Lowe takes up business where he left off in 2020 after the excellent Phenomena: a mix of bright and languid pop-prog ("Curious Dreamer") and elegant instrumental jazzy prog ("The Dreaming Field"), the combination of two styles in the same piece seems a bit artificial here, comments that had already been noted on the previous record. "Silver Waves" (7:39) is most convincing, especially for its sensitive melody and its mesmerizing recitative set on a slow tempo that eventually accelerates in bizarre technoid rhythmic, the transition between the two parts being once again obvious. Sung in angelic voice by the Londoner Louise on a slow rhythm, «Glorious Persuasion» (7:40) begins once again with a beautiful relaxing melody, Tony being an example in this field. And for the third time in a row, which is becoming a formula, almost a gimmick, the rhythm suddenly accelerates, always so abrupt, to give way to a kind of irresistible electro discoid rock that brings us in the atmosphere of the 80s at the time of the band Propaganda. To put it more clearly, it seems that "Glorious Persuasion" is made of two separate pieces without really hurting the listener's enjoyment. «High Inspiration - It Wasn't a Dream» is the same mixed formula but this time in reverse. There are two distinct parts and no apparent connection in the same piece but the part of the song is placed before the staccato allegro, illuminated by discreet interventions of a Tony Banks-like synthetizer, followed by a dreamy ballad full of feeling. «The Brightest Star» (5:55), pretty country-pop feel good, with a soft and light atmosphere, enjoys a floydian guitar solo on a Hammond organ background that takes it into a whole other dimension. On "Life Pod" (4:34), a dynamic instrumental that would not have disavowed Alan Parson, the organ is found in a more important jazzy role, supported by an overflowing bass, mixed with love, played by Steve Gee as an exceptional guest. Silver Waves ~ Astral Dreams has reserved his best part for the end: «Love Returns» (5:45), a ravaging slow as in the most beautiful days of the most romantic Barclay James Harvest. Perhaps the most beautiful melody ever composed by Tony, who was never stingy, a positive music of the kind to send us back to the infinite in which our mind is lost while listening to it, daughter of the spiritual world, illuminated by the day of heaven, animated by a divine breath. Silver Waves ~ Astral Dreams is not the most progressive album of ESP Project but it's one of the most enchanting and sophisticated, sublimated by a Louise Browne in weightlessness. And we are already hoping for the next one to come in 2025, a promise of soothing melodic pleasures, if Tony Lowe's magical creativity does not falter. (previously published in BigBang Magazine #127)