MANCUNIAN CANDIDATE

What Mancunian Candidate offering on their debut self titled from 2017 is a nice combination of old school prog with pastoral passages, cinematic lanscapes, all done with taste, imagine you have Alan Parsons Project with Rush, 10CC, It Bites even Yes, with vocal arrangements remind me of Jon Anderson, Paul McCartney and even Sting. Swindells provides all the drums, keyboards and vocals with helping hand from Matt Bissonette and a handful of other guest that I parcticulary do not know well.

Even the synths and mellotron are present, the overall sound is towards popier fileds with nods to Steve Wilson here and there. Overall good album, but nothing more, 3 stars for sure. Fav trach, divided in smaller parts is the 10 min pieces Operation Bright Star.

On the album Swindells provides all the drums, keyboards and vocals along with some acoustic guitar, and has used Matthew Charles Heulitt (Moetar, Narada Michael Walden Ziggabo Modeliste) and Johnny Heyes (Mica Paris, Tito Jackson, Errol Brown, Badbone & Co) on guitar, while bass is provided by Bissonette (Elton John, David Lee Roth, Joe Satriani), Neil Fairclough (Queen & Adam Lambert), Jon Evans (Tori Amos, Sarah Mclauchlan), Ollie Collins (Black Rivers, Alan Parsons, Badly Drawn Boy) and long-time Swindells collaborator Andy Shepley. Mandolin is played by Jasper Wilkinson (I Am Your Autopilot). So, a host of stellar collaborators, who all know exactly what they are doing, and this is then all brought together with great songs and vocals.

I hadn't realised prior to this that Matthew is a pom, I had always assumed he was American, but he is originally from Manchester, and that shines through in the music. It is quite poppy in some ways, and I can imagine The Hollies having had their part to play, combined then with the likes of XTC. It is at the heart a very English album, in terms of style and mannerisms, but with an American polish over the top, crossover prog at its very truest. The pop combines with the progressive complexity to leave the listener feeling refreshed and with a smile on their face. This isn't music that is complex and dense just of the sake of being so, but instead is carefully constructed and layered, so that it feels light and joyous. Some prog music, okay a lot of prog music, feels as if it has been put together in such a manner that the listener is supposed to be impressed with what is going on even if they don't enjoy and comprehend the actual music itself. No such problem here, this is all about simple complexity, and loads of fun. Let's hope that the return to the scene is such that Matthew releases another album in the near future, as this is something I have enjoyed immensely.

The disc kicks off with three brief ditties ''Garden Party'' is the owner of an overt the Police coating, what with the slashing guitars, the loopy bass and the slick drumming. Matthew has a voice that scours the higher registers, much like Eric Stewart, Sting or Jon Anderson. Its brisk pace is refreshing and astute. ''Secret of a Saint'' maintains the loftier pitch, but slows down into a wistful swirl of pastoral emotion, a true showcase of Matthew's vocal abilities (love the way he rolls his Rs), and lyrically condemning organized religion and cultism . ''The Water's Cold'' has a choppier beat, with some crazy synth work that elevates the rhythm even higher, all serving as a brightly paced intro into the world of Mancunian Candidate.

The real gem here is ''Operation Bright Star'' a 10 minute , 3-part suite that incorporates modern sounds that may recall recent Steve Wilson, Neil Fairclogh's pungent bass pushing things along smartly. The instrumental section (''AnimusDominusscrappedonfactor'') is thick, complex and eccentric, a twisting, turning, veering and diving into breakneck speed folly that pleases the ear and the attached mind, while the serene third part leads to ponderous piano musings that soothe the soul and a wrenching vocal. There is a definite clever feel here, the 10cc influence being strong and heady.

The nearly 7 minute ''Circle Lies Unbroken'' has an unmistakable Mahavishnu Orchestra like intro, before the voice urges onward, a definite Rush feel and a severe critique of unruly corporatism, a condition that permeates modern society that seems to skirt the edges of disaster. The music is playful and imaginative, the coarse lyrics direct and unapologetic. A slashing guitar solo adds drama and urgency.

War is always a good prog-rock subject, and Matthew attacks the cleverly titled ''Mongers Among Us'' with aplomb, the choppy Summers-Sting-Copeland feel very obvious, with nice high-pitched Sting influenced vocals. The bass burps like some machine gone awry, but the gentle rhythm is attacked by a swirly air-raid siren that keeps the edge honed.

The piano-led ''The Phoenix'' has a highly crafted arrangement that skirts the outer edges of jazz fusion, with some cleverly played synth and guitar interfaces, a blending of simplicity and complexity that is quite an achievement. The mood is thick and yet airy, highlighted by some blistering notes from guitarist matthew Charles Heulitt.

The colossal three part ''Too Much to Lose'' is a nearly 14 minute suite that focuses once again on human conflict, a jangly, slashing intro that is heavily syncopated emitting a clear 10cc/the Police feel, but way more choppy and obscure. Swindells' vocals are the bets yet, mellotron waves pushing the groove forward as the Matt Bissonette bass carves nicely with Heulitt doing some amazing licks that pirouette a la Jan Akkerman (jazzier version). This is the highlight of the album, giving the progfan an earful of sounds to ponder and enjoy. This culminates into the more bombastic 'Fanfare for the Damned' section that has a more sombre and brooding sound, the most progressive piece here.

The final nail is hammered in with ''Leslie's Friends'', a quirky finale that sums up the album perfectly, a fine first opus that has plenty to offer, especially in terms of soloing and instrumental display, opening the door to future releases with a more concentrated focus on diversity and perhaps even looking at a darker tone that might push this into even more eventful compositions.

3.5 Manchester options

Their sound is not so complicated enough for the audience in progressive rock world but delightful and brilliant. It's quite mysterious even complex, multi-rhythmic vibes with Neo-symphonic keyboard-oriented hints like "Anikusdominuscrappedonfactor" can be accepted straightly (and this is one of my faves honest to say :P). Matthew's plain voices along easy-listening melody lines remind me also of alternative rock around 2000 and this should be one of the reasons why we, middle-aged rock fan, can be immersed in his / their soundscape. This creation features 14 not-too-long tracks flooded with enjoyable instrumental plays and comfort, both of which were moistened with his / their pure emotion, intention for rock. Not enough progressive essence nor complicated, mysterious sensation in this stuff but I do hope everyone can bring in a verdict of favour for Mancunians.