PERKUNAS

1. "Ecobio Curves" (7:40) an amazing opening song, replete with fully-developed and wonderfully-performed and - rendered musicianship including wonderful group choir vocals in the background. (14/15)

2. "Sumimasen" (6:27) dirty Fender Rhodes introduction for the first 25 seconds before other instruments join in. By the end of the first minute, the band has congealed into a beautiful tapestry of sound that are founded on a cleverly- syncopated rhythm section while a chorus of vocalists including Melody Ferris and Madeline Tasquin (and others?!) sing a wonderfully-laid back and gorgeously-melodic vocal line over the top. Then there is a funny JANE SIBERRY-like all-female greeting conversation in the middle of the second minute. How fun! This reminds me a bit of The Northettes if they were in a MICHAEL FRANKS song. Great drumming from And there really isn't a single note or moment that I don't love! One of my favorite Inner Ear Brigade songs of all-time! (10/10)

3. "Earendel" (5:52) pure vocal-less instrumental jazz rock--Yacht Rock. Nice smooth sax play by Ivor Holloway (on multiple tracks)--especially the solo during the STEELY DAN-like fourth minute. (8.75/10)

4. "Goblin Gruel Part 1" (6:19) after the harpsichord opening, this cutie-pie turns into something with a bit more retro swing style--enhanced by the dominant presence of the truly more Northettes-like female choir vocals and quirky, syncopated and quick-to-turn music. As a whole, this one is definitely reminding me of the music of Canterbury band, NATIONAL HEALTH--despite the presence of Ivor Holloway's saxophone and Theo Pavodiosiois' trumpet. (9.5/10)

5. "Muse 2 Entropy" (4:35) Ivor's clarinet and Curtis McKinney's bass open this one before drums and Melody Ferris's familiar Barbara Gaskin-like voice and style joins in duplicating the clarinet's (and piano's and viola's) melody line(s). Nice jazz of the Dave Stewart-Barbara Gaskin style. It is clever how the clarinet, piano, viola, and guitar take turns with the melody line--sometimes doubling up, sometimes just subtly switching out--all the while maintaining the same line with Melody's vocal. (8.875/10)

6. "Brood X" (6:04) a quasi-surf-and-clam bake rocker sounding like something from one of Frank Zappa's earliest albums. Jazzy like an Estradasphere Venice Beach-New Orleans Zydeco blend with ditzy-blonde vocalese (courtesy of brunette Melody Ferris). Pleasant and upbeat. (8.875/10)

7. "Perkunas" (9:27) incredibly poor sound engineering--as if someone stuck a single mike up on a stage during a live performance. The static/distortion allowed on the Fender Rhodes during the long, boring introduction is criminally bad. Melody Ferris' voice has never sounded/felt so frail. A kind of clunky, bull-in-a-china shop construct. (17.25/20)

Total Time 48:12

A-/five stars; my favorite Inner Ear Brigade album since their 2012 debut, a minor masterpiece of modern Canterbury Style jazz-rock music. Highly recommended to all prog lovers--especially if you like Canterbury or Jazz-Rock Fusion.

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