HEART FULL OF SKY

"Heart Full of Sky" is not one of the most popular Mostly Autumn albums but is quite a relaxing journey with Findlay sounding gorgeous on vocals and some majestic symphonic prog.

Fading Colours is a majesty of symphonic strings and Findlay's golden tones. An epic composition with grandiose orchestration and the longest song on the album; perhaps the best on offer here.

Half A World a bit repetitious but builds nicely into some uplifting melodies and Josh's soaring guitar solo, always worth waiting for. The key change helps too but the lyrics could have been better.

Pocket Watch has a strong steady beat and male vox and a dirty guitar sound grinding along with some piano lines. A very different sound for the band, more accessible as they inject some rock into the album.

Blue Light has a laid back soft approach with reverberating keyboards, chimes and gentle guitars. Findlay is beautiful on these dreamy ballads and harmonises well with other vocals. The flute is gorgeous and overall it is among the more melancholy compositions of the band. The lead break at the end is incredible!

Walk With A Storm is another of the longer tracks, a slow track with heavier guitar distortion and flute. Josh and Heather sing a duet and it has a darker feel in the lyrics and melody; "I don't want to see her die, I just want to walk by her side, on and on we're gonna fly, through blazing summer rain". It is an odd song with crawling tempo and ominous musicianship. I particularly like the shimmering organ and overall atmosphere on this one, especially when it speeds up and violin enters, and definitely that very bleak melody that peaks towards the end. This is the band at their most darkest, and it is a grand track on this album, a definitive highlight.

Find The Sun has more dark stormy atmospheres, beginning with dramatic violin, piano tinkling and thunder crashes. The guitar tones are as crystal as Heather's gentle tones. Again this one is dreamy with lulling melodies and sleepy musicianship. Peter Knight on violin is a master and shines brilliantly on this track.

Ghost has whispered vox of Josh at first and then builds into a new time sig as Findlay joins in. The creepy melodies are haunting and mysterious. I like the way the sig changes in this and the tune is catchy. It ends with quite an ethereal melody that is meant to have that ghostly atmosphere.

Broken is a melancholy sad solo from Heather with a lonely piano. She sounds serene and composed softly singing about coming to terms with isolation and loss, as a mother and child are separated.

Silver Glass begins with piano and flute beauty, and then gorgeous vocals from Chris Johnson. The imagery in the lyrics is compelling; "there's a glow beneath and its seething through the dark, where the mind and the soul have no boundary at all, shining silver glass in a void and covered sky." I really love Chris's vocals that are angelic and atmospheric. Josh launches into a great guitar solo and enhances the composition. It sounds like Pink Floyd and yet retains that folk precocity.

Further From Home follows next, another melancholy track opening with piano and Uilleann pipes. Josh augments it with nice string bends that soar heavenly, and sounding like Gilmour. This is mainly an instrumental and a very emotional piece of music. The guitar domination is awesome, perhaps some of the bluesiest Mostly Autumn music. Later vox return with the same glorious melody heard earlier.

Last song on the journey is Dreaming, sung by Findlay and Josh, with some heavy guitar riffs driving it along. This is the heaviest track on the album, especially the guitars and vocals style. The lyrics are thought provoking; "How can you fly when you've got no wings, and there's no escape from the burning flames." The lead break comes in as a new time sig floats along and Findlay returns.

Overall this album is one of the more melancholy albums after a blazing start. The songs are dreamy and have dark nuances. It is certainly a decent album to plunge into, and very lengthy, with some of the band's most beautiful and stirring compositions.