FRIEND OF ALL CREATURES

Today I'll be reviewing the fifth album by the Spock's Beard spinoff Pattern Seeking Animals called "Friend of All Creatures." It was released on Feb 14, 2025, so is still very new as I type this. Pattern Seeking Animals (PSA) consists of Spock's Beard (SB) members Ted Leonard on lead vocals and guitar, Dave Meros on bass, former SB drummer Jimmy Keegan, and longtime SB collaborator/songwriter John Boegehold on keyboards and vocals (he is also the composer/arranger/producer). Since they released their first album in 2019, PSA have been remarkably consistent in terms of releasing an album a year (although they are a bit late, this time) as well as in the high quality of the music. This is my first cold listen to the album.

Let's get going!

Track 1 - Future Perfect World

This is the second longest track at 9:38. An easy-going keyboard part starts the track off at a moderate tempo. Guitar notes with swelling volume accompanies the keyboards. The rhythm section begins to provide accents, and the groove begins to take shape. A cool organ part takes over at just before 1 minute, in a question-and-answer part with a synth. The tempo increased slightly during this wonderfully proggy intro. The vocals begin a bit ahead of 2 minutes in. The meter is a very steady 4-4 here. Harmony vocals join as we proceed. The organ takes charge in the first break between verses. At around 4 minutes the keys lead into an instrumental break. The music takes on a half-time feel, then bassist Dave Meros is featured on a fretless bass. A guitar solo follows at around 5 minutes. The music has gone into 6-8 and feels "floaty." An instrumental melody emerges out of this section. Things ease off around 5:40, and another vocal section begins, maintaining the 6-8. The music begins to have a darker feel, until the meter changes at around 7:20. Ascending instrumental lines chase each other, and the tempo picks up and returns to 4-4. The rhythm section drops out near the end and harmonized vocals and keyboards continue until the song fades out. Excellent opener.

Track 2 - Another Holy Grail

This is the longest track at over 12 minutes. Vocals begin immediately with electric piano accompaniment; the music has a ballad feel. Harmonies and sustained bass notes join in as we proceed. After a syncopated rest, the vocals crescendo and a new segment begins with dynamic synth playing. Guitar takes the lead and then an odd metered groove takes hold in the bass, guitar and drums, while the keyboard (mellotron, perhaps) has a lot of manipulated sliding notes (I am reminded of the Moody Blues' "Legend of a Mind"). Some vocal sounds stab through before a synth solo takes center-stage. There is a countermelody and then the drums drop out. When they come back in, it's with a jazzy feel and a rimshot on the snare beats, along with some claves clinking away. At 3 minutes, the music shifts again, with flute-like sounds taking over. A very dramatic drum roll leads us into the next segment. The Music double-times at around 3:45. This feels like the overture of a musical production as it has a very orchestral scope. The music basically becomes a steady beat, and vocals enter at around the 5-minute point. There are occasional subtle meter shifts as we progress. At 6:45 the music takes another dramatic turn as Leonard repeats the phrase "not the end," and sustains the notes. A great bass line supports the vocals here. A guitar solo follows. Next up is another orchestral feeling section with organ swells underneath. It then returns to the piano ballad feel from the intro. The sliding mellotron sounds return. We are then into another scene in the cinematic music. There is a bit of a 70s TV action show vibe at times as well. The music keeps getting more intense as we approach the ending. Great prog. It's going to take a few more listens to fully wrap my head around, but I like it.

Track 3 - Down the Darkest Road

This is one of the three shorter tracks of under 5 minutes. A harp-like intro starts this one off, to be joined by mellotron choir and tuned percussion. The vocals enter telling a tale of a traveler that the narrator met. Nice harmonies at 2 minutes. This feels like a classical art song. Violin comes in next (by guest player Eliza James). A few snare rat-a-tat-tats join the soundscape at around 3:30. I believe the traveler is "death" and he is summoning the storyteller to go with him, but I could be wrong. The tone is a haunting melody of this one. A college music department with chamber singers and orchestral players could do a nice arrangement of this. Well-done.

Track 4 - In My Dying Days

A dramatic cymbal roll ushers this one in. This is another sub-5-minute track. The guitar tone is a bit like the "007" theme song, albeit with a different melody. Vocals enter at just before 1 minute with a chugging muted acoustic guitar and keyboard flourishes. The rhythm section is subtle. I like the lead-in to the chorus. Another verse follows with some variations. I like the key change on the second chorus. There is a Steinhardt-influenced violin part playing a countermelody at around the 3-minute point. A nice guitar solo follows, leading to the bridge. Good track that had my foot tapping before it was over.

Track 5 - The Seventh Sleeper

This one is 8+ minutes long. A staccato keyboard part starts this one off. The ride cymbal hits on the 2 and 4 of each measure and another sustained keyboard part plays over the top. The rhythm section kicks in fully and the music begins to build up. The guitar takes over with a different muted-staccato rhythm as the verse begins. I like the call & response style vocals as we go along. The beat is moderately slow and steady. A gentle acoustic piano takes the lead over the rhythm section and electric piano. This gives way to a Ted Leonard guitar solo. His solos tend to be melody-focused with the occasional flourish. A nice odd-metered part follows the guitar solo. At around the 5-minute point a mandolin can be discerned in the mix. Flute sounds enter, and then parts start layering as we go. The music takes a darker turn around 6 minutes in. Leonard is really giving it his all at around 6:30 from a vocal standpoint, teetering on the screaming threshold. Things smooth back out a few seconds later. Once again, the music is getting very dynamic and dramatic. Fantastic track!

Track 6 - Days We'll Remember

This is the shortest track at a little under 4 minutes. Guitar harmonies in 6-8 that are reminiscent of Kansas' "Hold On" start this one out. They are replaced by acoustic strumming and vocals at around 20 seconds in. Leonard's vocals seem to be getting stronger as the album goes on. I like the cascading vocal harmonies around 1:30. There is an interesting keyboard tone supporting the melody. A brief instrumental break leads to a very dynamic bridge. Great high note around 3:30. This AMAZING track ends on a foreboding minor chord. I am wondering if it foreshadows the final track.

Track 7 - Words of Love Evermore

We are back over 8 minutes again. To answer my question from the previous track, it seems to have nothing to do with this one. A quiet bass line starts us off here with a syncopated ostinato. Vibraphone chords come in over the top. Well maybe that final chord does foreshadow this track as there are some minor chord accents as the opening section comes to a close. However, as Keegan leads into the next part with a drum fill, the tonality turns major (around 1 minute in). At around 1:30, a new melodic theme takes over. Ted is showing the range of his vocal abilities here, as he is singing the melodies with great gentleness as opposed to the power of the previous track. The music takes on a gospel choir-like feel at just after 2 minutes in. There is a wonderful bit of vocal arranging around 3 minutes in. This is followed by a shift to a piano solo at 3:30. One thing I am finding after reviewing a lot of prog albums is to not get too comfortable on one groove for too long, as it will probably change before I can type the description (I'm a lousy typist, but I make it work). I love all of the mellotron used on this album. Nice, odd meters in the synth break. I really am enjoying the vocal harmonies around 5:15. Keegan's drum fills are not flashy, but they serve the song well. The orchestration at around 6 minutes is wonderfully executed. Leonard takes a guitar solo at around 6:35. I can't get enough of the various layers of instruments and vocals as the song nears conclusion. Boegehold has done a great job! Spectacular closing track!

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Fantastic album! These four musicians have really made something special here! This album started out good and just kept getting better and better, especially on the final 3 tracks. While any fan of Spock's Beard will pick up some stylistic similarities, PSA is not just a different SB lineup. PSA has their own thing happening here, and I picked up a few dashes of Kansas influence in there as well. Leonard's vocals are dynamic throughout and get better and better as we go through the album. His guitar skills are quite good as well, even though he may not be at (SB lead guitarist) Alan Morse's level of virtuosity. Bogehold's keyboard arrangements are simply astoundingly good; although?like the comparison between Leonard and Morse's guitar skills?he may not have the flash that (SBs) Ryo Okumoto has, he's still no slouch. Meros is a top-flight bassist, but his bass lines aren't as out front as they tend to be in SB. Keegan is a great drummer, but again, he plays to the song and doesn't take the spotlight often. So, all of that is to say that these four excellent musicians play and sing to serve the songs, the songs don't serve to showcase their abilities. Anyone who enjoys melodic prog-rock will find a lot to enjoy here. Great album! 4.5 stars.

Clicked 4, but really 4.5!

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