THE LIKES OF US

1. "Light Left in the Day" (6:11) my first introduction to the singing voice and stylistic preferences of new lead vocalists Alberto Bravin puts him immediately in the category of Andreas Bocelli-like wannabe opera singers; he's definitely got a flare for dramatic, theatric, emotionally-packed performance. (No wonder he held a post in PFM for a spell in the 20teens.) The music that follows the first two minutes of vocal-led fare is full on bombastic stage-worthy prog--music that sounds like an impressive introductory piece (or "overture") to a West End/Broadway musical. It definitely still sounds like Big Big Train, pushing all of the requisite buttons of competency, proficiency, performative and compositional skill. Solid. Good. Nothing special or breakthrough/innovative. (8.875/10)

2. "Oblivion" (5:28) an interesting bombastic opening 45 seconds that harkens back not only to 1970s GENESIS as well as many 21st Century RPI bands turns into something that sounds more like a power song from a 1980s hair band with the one exception being the chunky bass guitar play. The shifting stylistic, sonic, and instrumental palettes throughout this song is definitely interesting. I'm especially enamored of the folk-like motif bridging the fourth and fifth minutes; not so much the 1980s hairband motif. (8.875/10)

3. "Beneath the Masts" (17:26) strings, real and synthetic, open this with a pretty, pastoral, and heart-tugging nostalgic motif that continues to morph and flow into more acoustic-based folk-tinged music--a piano and acoustic-guitar motif that Alberto begins to sing over around the 2:25 mark. After Alberto finishes his first verse, piano and strings enter into a gentle, loving conversation. Then, at 4:15, the guitar picking shifts into a different progression before being joined by the bass and drums--over which Alberto rejoins singing in a more forceful and sometimes emphatic voice (sometimes sounding like a cross between Tommy Shaw and Freddie Mercury). Stereotypic GENESIS-like NeoProg section in the seventh minute gives way to some horns in the eighth before reviving in another, still very GENESIS-like patch over which Alberto delivers a refreshingly-different vocal (one that is closer to STYX or AMBROSIA than Genesis). At 9:30 the band lights up with a requisite instrumental section. There are lots of keyboard, guitar, and even electric violin riffs and flourishes being thrown about in a very ANDY TILLISON-kind of bombastic way. At 11:48 they try a side road of more angular, off-time music, but then everybody comes together beneath the glow of the Mellotron's angel choir and Rutherfordian bass pedals. At 13:25 the instrumental palette returns to the song's opening palette of pastoral acoustic folk instruments. Alberto returns, singing once again in the more languishing storytelling approach that he used in the song's opening sections, until, that is, the crash of bombast strikes at 15:15, leading us to a predictably climactic finish. I love the richly-"orchestrated" bucolic parts as well as some of the bombast and vocal stylings. It's certainly hard to find any band in this day and age doing more competent and mature prog epics. (31.75/35)

4. "Skates On" (4:28) 12-string guitars picking GENESIS-like pre-empt the STYX/TOTO and especially QUEEN-like vocal motifs that follow. Would that I could "hear" lyrics (and, thereby, catch their meaning) this song might have more significance for me. Otherwise, it's a perfectly nice tune. (8.875/10)

5. "Miramare" (10:18) after the QUEEN-like choir vocal intro, this song sounds very much like a power ballad from a Disney musical animation film. After 90 seconds of this the full band kicks in. It's a fairly typical BBT palette making this motif: a fairly rich symphonic weave of full prog rock instrumental complement--including piano and violin and chunky bass. The vocals are good though the full choral complement and b vox sound almost AI/computer generated (or treated--or from a vocoder). Nice delicate, folk-like motif starts in the fifth minute, turning GENESIS bombastic in the sixth for an exciting almost-cinematic seventh. Too bad the keyboard sounds used in the lead sound like they come from a cheap 1990s MIDI keyboard. The next sparsely-populated (piano and violin) section feels so like something from a Disney musical or Andrew Lloyd WEBER stage musical. Then we pick back up into an instrumental break for some nice duel guitar shredding. In the end the vocalist just sounds too much like too many other British NeoProg lead singers. (17.6667/20)

6. "Love Is the Light" (6:11) another perfectly innocuous song that sounds and feels as if it comes from a group of mature song craftsmen: there is little fat, a lot of high quality grist and grit with some excellently creative seasonings delivering nourishment that will become tomorrow's feces and forgotten by the next day. (8.875/10)

7. "Bookmarks" (6:23) here, again, Alberto's gift as a stage musical leading man is on full display. He's definitely engaging, even riveting, in the spotlight. The choreography around him--both instrumentally/musically and choral performatively--are of the very highest quality: I'm certain that this is a musical that I would fully enjoy if seen in the theater. I just don't think I'd remember any of the music afterward--I'd just remember the performances and the overall emotional impression I received from the play. Still, I feel that there is some of the same quality of performer-listener conveyance achieved by the band from the English Electric albums. (9/10)

8. "Last Eleven" (7:55) great music over which Alberto delivers an awesome vocal that sounds so much like Michael Sadler's amazing vocal on SAGA's first big hit, "On the Loose." I love the musical arrangements throughout this--especially the vocal melodies and a choral arrangements--but I have to single out Greg Spawton's chunky electric bass as it has never sounded better or been more fitting that to the music and vocals of this song. This is by far my favorite song on the album. It just hits me to the core! I only wish that the final motif (beginning in the seventh minute) didn't almost lose me. (14/15)

Total Time 64:20

There is a lot to enjoy here, not much to criticise or turn one's nose up to. My musical likes--perhaps more accurately termed, my musical requirements or "needs"--just do not have much room for, or receive much nourishment from, this fare anymore.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of masterfully- and lovingly-performed, composed, and recorded music that may become remembered as one of the best albums the band ever did.

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