THE HAY-MAN DREAMS

A really drab album! This is the sixth studio release by Robin Armstrong-headed progressive rock project Cosmograf and this also happens to be one of the releases on the heavier end of the Cosmograf spectrum. 'The Hay-Man Dreams' is melancholic and sorrowful act and is actually conceptually bound by the family story of a great-grandfather's passing, with the music reflecting the overall dark themes and explorations with a sound that is quite vintage, full of heavy, sweeping guitars and scorching mellotron cries, topped by the idiosyncratic vocals of Armstrong which are always recognizable and a significant part of the Cosmograf musical universe.

And while the retro measures of the album are there, structured as a six-track single LP, there are a few contemporary influences as well, meaning that amidst the Floyd-ian or pastoral 70s musings, you might as well catch glimpses of a Porcupine Tree or Thomas Thielen-reminiscent episodes. This is all good but somewhere along the lines the excitement wears thin, the tension that is usually omnipresent on other releases by Armstrong is a little dim on 'The Hay-Man Dreams' as the record meanders through some extended instrumental passages like on 'The Motorway' or the 12-minute title track. On the contrary, 'Cut the Corn' and 'Trouble in the Forest' successfully deliver just that tasteful piece of grim melancholia, with that soaring grip of the mastermind's vocals delivering the rather forlorn lyrics of the songs. This 2017 release is good, tight listen but I genuinely feel that there are stronger offerings in this discography.