USE AND ORNAMENT

Regal Worm is a progressive rock project by Jarrod Gosling of Sheffield, England based electronic pop psych outfit I Monster and maverick Jazz influenced proggers Henry Fool. Regal Worm sees Jarrod striking out on his own and is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream ever since he listened to his dad's cassettes of Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes, Mike Oldfield and Rick Wakeman. The debut 'Use and Ornament' was recorded in Jarrod's 'Pig View' studio utilising dangerous vintage machinery (including his prized Mellotron M400). What I find really interesting about this album is that many ways it is pronk mixed with psychedelia which is not what one would expect given the list of artist he says inspired him.

The music is quite jangly, with sharp edges, and it is obvious that Cardiacs and Poisoned Electrick Head have been listened to by Jarrod, as he has incorporated some of their quirkiness into an album that seems more rooted in the Eighties than the Seventies.As I played this album for the first time I wasn't really sure to make of it, as the music shifts back and forth, twisting and changing as it goes. It is mostly instrumental, but 'Confession From a Deep and Warm Hibernaculum' is a delicate number with some wonderful female vocals (sorry ' no idea who the singer is). But, it is '6:17 PM The Aunt Turns into an Ant' that grabs the attention. It is the best part of 30 minutes long, and it incorporates countless styles as it moves through the piece, somehow always keeping the listeners' attention, whether it is some gentle harp, or jangly melodies. It finished with a musical box, which immediately made me think of Genesis ' maybe I am reading too much into it, but that to me was a wonderful homage at the end of a prog epic.

Definitely from left field, this is an album that rewards those prepared to spend some time with it. Very British, angular and pronk, it is great fun.

Wow, this totally blows me away. This is perhaps one of the finest new prog rock bands I have heard in a long time. Regal Worm is a Jarod Gosling project, he was in I Monster and Skywatchers, plus for the progheads, he appeared in the last Henry Fool CD, Men Singing. Unbelievably great and complex prog, influenced by the Canterbury scene, as well as King Crimson and perhaps a bit of Gentle Giant. Seriously, this music doesn't stay in one place for very long, although there are a couple more straightforward pieces. Lots of organ, Mellotron, flute, sax, vintage synths (including an EMS Synthi AKS), Mellotron simply all over the place making this totally essential for the tron fan as well as adventurous progheads! This is just a bit over an hour long, but nothing that overstays its welcome. Many of these songs bear twisted and lengthy titles, no doubt inspired by Hatfield & the North, like "6:17 PM The Aunt Turns Into an Ant". But this is not actually a Canterbury album, although there's that influence, there are plenty of outside influences too. The occasional Fripp-like guitar brings the Crimson comparison. I am no kidding that I seriously believe this might end up near the top of my all-time favorite prog releases. I get a kick off the end of "The Ant Turns into an Ant" where they do a short folk-influenced piece that goes: "At the end of my rainbow / I wanna find a pot of gold / Don't wanna find a crock of s@#t / At the end of my rainbow" showing the less serious side of the band. Of course, some might think this was a bad mistake for the band, but it's short, and the rest is simply fantastic prog of the first class. Plus I love the production. Lots of prog in recent years sound like it was knocked off a PC and seem sterile. Not here. It's a bit over an hour long, but never outstays its welcome, which I really love, because too often in the last 20-25 years, there's been too much of a habit of bands (prog and non-prog alike) trying to cram in as much as they can on one CD, but it's a real chore to listen to as it's obvious they only have enough good material for half that length, if that much. Not with Regal Worm. Much of this has this wonderful retro thing going on, only a couple parts have a more contemporary feel. This music is largely instrumental, and I often forget there are occasional vocals, female and male vocals. Highly recommended for the more adventurous progheads out there!

Great fun this record, no shortage of creativity and extremely well played throughout. There are some lows on the album, the floyd-like 'Apple Witch' and 'Morning Sentinel' aren't quite as strong or inventive as some of the other songs here and, as far as openers go, Zinc Ferment isn't exactly exciting or engaging and I'm not sure if it properly introduces the madness that is to come. 'Cherish that Rubber Rodent' is exciting and out there (even for this record) and the jazzy / spacey Mardi Gras has really grown on me in repeated listens.

The real highpoints on this album however are the mammoth songs 'Confessions from a Deep and Warm Hibernacum' and '6:17 PM the Aunt Turns Into an Ant' which really take the listener on a ride. The former, although opening with a melody that filled me with 80's synth drenched dread, expanded the idea through the next several moments into more ideas and themes than I can even hope to give insight to before introducing the strongest moment on the album where the female vocals come in. Wow. In the near half-hour masterpiece, the Aunt turns into an Ant, we see a development of themes ideas that take the listener on quite the ride and, although it doesn't feel erratic, you don't feel like you're listening to the same song through it.

If I had to name some issues with the album, which I'm reluctant to do given its high quality. I have to point out that the album does, at times, feel jumpy and erratic and at times it's hard to gain a real sense of what the band is, even after repeated listens. The other issue I have is that the album seems to be based off of EXTREMELY strong ideas, interluded with synth-drenched filler as connectors between these ideas. As a result I get a mixed feeling from this cd, I want to applaud it for its inventiveness, its daring nature, its genuinely crisp feel and sound. This doesn't feel formulaic, this is prog in its purest sense. By the end of it, when you've been listening to the album for over an hour, you don't feel weary or tired, the album stays at a high quality and you don't feel as though there are any filler songs (the worst you have are experiments that don't quite work for you).

On the whole though, the album is erratic and its inventiveness may in fact be the albums downfall. While you do have some absolutely brilliant moments it seems strung together haphazardly which is a real letdown. With more time in the oven perhaps, and more of an emphasis on making the songs work as songs and not just ideas within I could see this album getting an easy 4 or even a 5 star rating, but as it stands it just falls flat (which is a shame because this is a really strong record with some absolutely amazing moments.)

3/5 stars

Hailing from the avant-rock realm of Quatermass Records, Regal Worm delivers a fantastic debut that shows strong potential for this band as far as how deep they can dive into weird music while still keeping it fun. Use and Ornament is an album that screams out humor with complex composition. Despite the fact that the album is mostly instrumental, there are the occasional vocal parts, and they are certainly well done, as can be seen on the track "Apple Witch," an upbeat piece that reminds me of Inner Ear Brigade with its catchy blend of jazziness, retro vibes, and modernity, as well as in the case of the surprisingly elegant female vocals that appear out of nowhere in "Confession From a Deep and Warm Hibernaculum." What really characterizes Regal Worm though is the instrumental, such as the exemplary track "Cherish That Rubber Rodent" which is quirky but very catchy and singleable at times or "The Aunt Turned into an Ant," with its rollercoaster ride that starts off somewhere in the vein of Yugen meets Anglagard to controlled ambient noise, horror soundtrack-esque segments, and even some psychedelic rock jamming. From blaring saxes to swelling Mellotrons and tasty basslines, Use and Ornament is certainly a debut that leaves me eager to hear how Regal Worm will progress in the coming years.

Music project from Sheffield, UK, started in the spring of 2011 by Jarrod Gosling, mostly known to prog fans from Henry Fool, but being in the music league for years as a member of Synth/Electro act I Monster and Alt Rockers Skywatchers.With a tireless team Gosling worked for about a year on the recordings of Regal Worm's debut ''Use and ornament'', recorded at the Pig View Studio in Sheffield and released in digital and CD format by Quatermass Records.

First thing to strike is Golsling's endless instrumental flexibility, handling guitars, modern and analog synths, piano, bass, percussion, wind instruments, effects and samplers and the list goes on.Mick Somerset-Ward handles saxes, harp, whistles, flutes and clarinet and the team is completed with another sax player, Louis Atkinson, Peter Rophone and Kevin Pearce on voices, Lucy Fawcett on trumpet, Nick Gosling on electric guitar, Graham McElearney on harp and Jack Helliwell on violin.With some of them Jarrod had already collaborated in previous works.

With a list of more than 20 instruments and considering its progressive edges, you know exactly what you buy in ''Use and ornament''.Complex, rich and dense music with plenty of variations and stylistical changes, which come as a combination of VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, Canterbury Prog ala CARAVAN and vibes of British Jazz Rock in the vein of IF.Fascinating music with keyboards and electric moments switching soon to jazzy passages with dominant sax and clarinet parts, backed up by an awesome rhythm section.With ''Use and ornament'' you get all the impressive values of British Prog performed in a modern way, the poppy lines of the early bands, offered through sophisticated arrangements (electric piano, vibraphone, sweet vocals and psychedelic melodies), the dark side of the movement with the dashes of Mellotron and the discreet use of organ in intricate interludes and the jazzier side of 70's UK music scene with the display of wind and horn instruments.While the short tracks are impressive, delivering soft parts combined with complex instrumentals, there are two masterful pieces included in the album, the 13-min. ''Confession from a deep and warm hibernaculum'' and the double dose of ''6:17 PM the aunt turns into an ant''.A monstrous manifest of VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR meeting CARAVAN on stage and exchange musical ideas.Intelligent Art Pop mixed with Jazz and frenetic Prog Rock, highlighted by instrumental changes, time signatures, odd rhythms and electroacoustic segments.Beautiful use of analog keyboards next to contemporary elements such as the sound effects and synths, vocals are limited yet amazing, and the changes in atmosphere will leave you speechless.

''Use and ornament'' tops most releases of the year 2013 and comes as a genuine and charming mix of the British Prog history.Can't think of anyone not liking this release, it's strangely smooth and incredibly complex at the same time.No less than highly recommended.

UK band REGAL WORM is, first and foremost, the creative vehicle of composer and musician Jared Gosling, otherwise known as a member of the bands Skywatchers, I Monster and Henry Fool. "Use and Ornament" is the first album to be issued under the Regal Worm moniker; it was self released towards the end of 2013.

"Use and Ornament" is a highly impressive debut album from an experienced composer and musician, exploring new territories with a new project. One that main man Gosling appears to focus on quite a bit, as a second album has been recorded and released at the time of writing. But if you haven't come across this band so far they are quite clearly one that merits an inspection. One of the most impressive debut albums I have heard in the last few years, and one that manages to combine the old with the new and to include challenging features in compelling and easygoing compositions with an ease that is down right impressive. Highly recommended, obviously.