SJS

The only person who is on every track is Stuart, but this never seems like a project, but much more like a band outing. He describes his music as Neo but to these poor abused ears he has missed the mark in that this is far more in the realm of Crossover than anything else. It is an album which I did not enjoy very much the first time of hearing, but I never review anything unless it has been played a few times as often it is only in later playing that the quality shines through and that is the case here. It is a very atmospheric album, with hints of Pink Floyd here and there with plenty of drama, while it is much more Oldfield in its outlook in others. In some ways the melodies are quite simplistic but they are taken to new levels with the arrangements. Stuart started his career as an engineer, working with the likes of Talk Talk, Gilmour and Tears for Fears, and one can certainly hear what impact those relationships have had on his own music.

It is an album which benefits from being played on headphones multiple times, as it is only then that the listener will fully understand what Stuart is trying to achieve and it is only then that the real beauty contained within comes through. I have not heard his previous albums, so cannot say if he has moved with this one, but the addition of Kirsty with the call and response in opener "Tear Gas" is a delight and it will be interesting to hear if he uses her more in the next album. There are some hidden depths in here which do take a while to come to light but it is more than worth the effort.

The record feels somehow like a more cohesive band arrangment though it's clear SJS himself is the man behind the music. A special shoutout to the smooth and graceful bass parts delivered by Soulos that pepper the songs with a class often unheard.

I was moved by this record and SJS is criminally underrated.

​6-minute tracks often interspersed with small instrumental pieces unrelated to each other, a final track in two parts lasting more than 14 minutes to set up the backbone, ambient sounds ranging from 80s electro pop to GARY NUMAN or KRAFTWERK, synths in the BANKS COLLINS period "in the air", others coming from the experimental sounds of JEAN MICHEL JARRE himself, finally guitar solos which could come out of the end of a title by DAVID GILMOUR and you pretty much get the vibe of this CD! All enhanced with a COLLINS-style rhythm from the 80s

A soaring intro on the piano, with voices in the background, augurs something pleasant, which puts you on the alert, I like that! Then the 2nd title leads directly into a rhythm that will follow many long titles, with a similar synthetic, monolithic tempo and a voice à la G. NUMAN, fortunately enhanced by a guitar solo of the most beautiful effect, strange! Interlude again very far from what one might expect with a slide guitar saturated at times, just enough to throw you off, brings us to "THE BLAMING" on grounds that PHIL COLLINS himself could have composed by asking for help for synthetic voices. Interlude again with this rather energetic atmosphere of GENESIS 3rd period leading to the title "CIRCLE SEAT" for a monolithic atmosphere with choirs, quite boring or captivating, it's your choice! Last interlude with a hard guitar, which can wake up the diligent tester and vocals at "THE WALL" brings the next title with this time a medieval theme, electro also at LINTZ at times, languorous title in itself, a bit of DEAD CAN DANCE and a very incisive guitar just to destabilize even more!

​ From now on, we enter the concept album with a recurring tune on all the titles, with "Two Postcards" backing vocals placed on an intro to OLDFIELD, a sound from COLLINS again, a Tibetan trumpet, difficult to find what cling! Next title, perhaps the single: "Air & Water" takes up the COLLINS rhythm, the monolithic voice of NUMAN and BREGOVIC-style choirs! Come on, "Cain & Abel" surprises us even more with a WILSON-like sound of the most beautiful effect, voices a bit like BJH from the great era! We are just surprised enough to relax with the last two tracks finally linked together and taking up the tune of "Air & Water" for a trip in refined world music mode with throbbing, repetitive choirs, synths, then a purely prog break with these cheerful voices phrasings and again piano, then violin coming from SJS!! Latest title on the same themes, like an endless wave, as if to ask the age-old question? "but we are in a PROG universe!"

This album flirts with a lot of the world influence that fans of Oldfield would get a kick out, but it's spliced together with Anathemaesque emotionfests and glitchy electronic-laden production that would feel at home on Trent Reznor's more subdued works. There's even the odd bit of metal thrown in here and there.

It's truly a dynamic listen sold by the fragile and expressive voice of Stuart Stawman, especially present on 'Angels and Acrobats'. The track name combined with the exposed vocal feels like a pleading with the gods to let SJS into the eternal afterlife. There is some urgency on the record that feels tantamount to some of the final work Bowie laid down on Blackstar. That's a big comment in my books.

This small band could have gone unnoticed for me had I not taken a chance with what the algorithm threw me up. Can't recommend this one enough.