CHANGES

The fifth and final album release of 2022 from Australia's Kings of Joy and Creativity. Here the band resuscitates seven leftovers from previous albums--all of which happen to use the same chord progression (same key)!

1. "Change" (13:03) a very pleasant, engaging and relaxing laid-back tune with whispered choral vocals.Despite several tempo and dynamic shifts, the song feels the same from start to finish. An interesting stop-and-restart at the end of the seventh minute results in a fun JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE-sounding rap section over some 1970s Canterbury pop music. Very cool! This is a surprising section which doubles up the surprise by being one of the more charming sections of the song (and album!). At 9:40 we have yet another stop-and-restart bridge of reverbed chorus vocals over Fender Rhodes which turns into another happy-go-lucky sing-a-long vocalise section. So infectious! Then, at 11:28, everything stops again before sounding as if it's going to go Canterbury again but then, surprise, heavy drums, bass, and fuzz guitar strumming lead us through another "bup-di-da-do-be-du-do-do" section to the end. Some really great, happy and engaging parts. (23/25)

2. "Hate Dancin'" (3:16) opens with the same chords from a Fender Rhodes sounding like we're about to start hearing either Ace's "How Long" or 10CC's "I'm Not in Love"--but then the whisper "I still hate dancin'" vocals and drum entrances let us know it's something quite different--and something way more fun and upbeat. (9.25/10)

3. "Astroturf" (7:33) now we're in the territory made familiar to me by 2020's debut release by Catalan psych pop band MAGICK BROTHER & MYSTIC SISTER. Even when the vocals enter and take over I feel as if we're in the Mediterranean--this time in Milan with THE WINSTONS. Horn hits, live flutes, and squirrely synth solo flourishes make for an even more interesting funked up tune. Fun drumming throughout but especially in the show-off section of the sixth and seventh minutes. (13.25/15)

4. "No Body" (3:42) being slowed down and spaced out gives the chords a bluesy feel. The slow, single-voice-delivered vocal does little to change the more introspective feel of this song. Has a little BEATLES feel to it--if The Beatles ever put a little more emphasis and/or faith in their instrumental sections. (8.5/10) 5. "Gondii" (4:56) now I feel as if I'm listening to THE BUGGLES from their 1980 debut album, The Age of Plastic. Even when the choral vocals enter and take over they're not so far from the heavily treated vocals of Trevor Horn or Vocoder Geoff Downes; the biggest difference are the live drums as opposed to the machine-driven ones Horn and Downes used to drive or support their own songs (mostly click tracks). (8.75/10)

6. "Exploding Suns" (4:40) a very cool, very spacious down-tempo jazz feel similar to music by bands like KOOP or THE WINSTONS. I love the whispered-in-your-ear lead vocals, echoed snare hits, and delicate Fender Rhodes note fills as well as the multiple synth solos. Oddly, this is probably not my favorite song on the album but, critically, I believe it to be the most masterfully produced--it's just the coolest! (9.75/10)

7. "Short Change" (2:50) a kind of party outro for the album to end in a celebratory bang. Fun but could've been better. (4.25/5)

Total Time 40:00

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music and one feckin' happy album--something we need so much more of in these woeful times.